Sunday Stealing

Hosted by Bev!

Thought Provoking Questions

I will add here.. these questions  brought out the  transparency of my true self..  Read only  at your own risk!

1. Do you own your things or do your things own you?

I hope  I own my things..  Actually,  I have  already  realized that a mother builds her nest  while her children a re home , creating a safe and happy atmosphere  of things  that  make  home a  lovely  habitation..  But once your  grown children  tell you, "Mom,  please start   getting rid of  all your stuff  because we don't want any of it!"  you start to see it all as an albatross around your neck... 

2. Would you rather lose all of your old memories or never be able to make new ones?

Neither,    but  I am a backward looking soul to some extent and I would hate to lose my  memories.

3. How do you deal with someone in a position of power who wants you to fail?

I give no credence to anything they have to say!   I  turn my attention more to the Lord of my salvation..  With Him I know I am a winner!

4. What do you have that you cannot live without?

My husband mainly..  Oh, how many times have I prayed, "Lord, please take me first!"

5. When you close your eyes what do you see?

Darkness....but

it is more what do I feel... completely enveloped in the love of God

6. What sustains you on a daily basis?

Again, of course, it is the love of God and  faith in His promises.

7. What are your top five personal values?

faith, family, friendship,  gratitude, responsibility

8. Why must you love someone enough to let them go?

For example, in raising our beloved daughter,  you love them "hard "   as you  empower them to take flight and live their life well   as unto the Lord.  Our daughter   excelled in college,  took advantage of every opportunity to  have the tools she needed to  leave the nest,   find  a  wonderful   sustaining job,   almost a thousand miles from hearth and home, doing cancer research in a large university setting, and  build her own family ...   instilling in her own children that same  fortitude and resilience!

9. Do you ever celebrate the green lights?

Funny, I was just saying...  if you're  on or ahead of time  going    to your destination every light is green , but  if you're running behind..    every one is red!

10. What personal prisons have you built out of fears?

I don't wish to go into this  except to say that in  my  life  I suffered events that  gave me  a victim mentality..  whereby  I  have struggled with being home alone after dark,  or  keeping the window  shades  open..  Hubs prefers to  have the windows bare so  it looks like we are home and  having a great time. .. I would love to  draw  them all,  but he  says it makes it look like we are  old fogeys.  If you've had  years of  a peeping tom during the  years of  growning up you  never want to have the blinds open...  but  I have  learned by God's grace to    be an over comer!  Praise God... 

  

11. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?

I truly cannot think of a thing  except to   travel back to Ireland and ,hopefully, someday before I'm too old to Great Britain.

12. Why are you, you?

God created me as I am, although for  the last 50 years he has been molding me more and more into the likeness of His son.   Sorry to say it takes so long  because I can be  a slow learner.  But  I truly can say now that I love me.  Extra baggage, warts,  and all!

13. If you haven’t achieved it yet what do you have to lose?

Unfortunately,  what I want to do takes a lot of money..  We  like to save  up  and  not go into debt  for our desires.

14. What three words would you use to describe the last three months of your life?

  To be perfectly honest....Weakness, pain, melancholy 

Some physical issues from last year have taken a huge toll on me..  but I am slowly progressing  The slowness makes me melancholy...

15. Is it ever right to do the wrong thing? Is it ever wrong to do the right thing?

Well, I have done plenty of wrong things and most times have paid a price in some fashion for my mindset or behavior...in other words it comes back to bite ya!

Regarding the other...   wrong to do right... the world tells us it is wrong to do right according to  godly precepts,  but  we mustn't compromise but  continue to do right and  therefore,  probably pay a price  from the world's perspective..   No one said following the Lord was easy!

16. How would you describe ‘freedom’ in your own words?

Freedom is  that value that isn't free.. it was bought with a dear price..   whether you consider the freedom we have in Christ  paid by His death on the cross,  or the freedoms we enjoy in this nation  that were purchased by  the service of many men and woman who  paid  a high price to secure and keep that freedom.. Freedom is   stated in scripture as thus:

John 8:36

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." .... new spiritual relation, it will make them new creatures, freed from sin by the power of truth.

17. What is the most important thing you could do right now in your personal life?

I could commit to do the right and best thing for me  ..  eat healthily and well  at all times,   but alas, I still  have  a hard time with this  truth!

18. If you could ask one person, alive or dead, only one question, who would you ask and what would you ask?

 To Moderator: Why?

19. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?

Being with my grand daughters every day...   as it is I am a pauper.

Saturday 9 On Mother's Day Weekend

The Perfect Fan

Hosted by Samantha!

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

THE PERFECT FAN (1999)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

To my precious mother, circa  1957

1) In this song, a son thanks his mother for helping him grow up strong and confident. Who is the last person you thanked? What did they do for you?

I thanked a  sweet friend on Facebook this morning  for sending me this lovely greeting !

🍃🐝🍃🌻💛🌻🍃.~May you have a Blessed and beautiful Mother's Day Weekend~full of Peace, Hope and Love~🍃🌻*˚•.༺.• ღ•༺.🍃🌻💛🌻.🍃🐝🍃

2) Who was the last person to thank you for something?

Again some  wonderful friends and prayer Sistas  with whom we meet for  prayer  regularly sent me  thank yous via email for  a word of encouragement I sent out  to the whole group of prayer ladies..In this climate in which we live  the inspiration and love we give one another  helps us to desire a deeper and closer walk!  I am touched by the sincere thanks  I receive in return!

3) This is from the Backstreet Boys' album Millennium, recorded and released in 1999. Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when 1999 turned into 2000?

Our daughter  was 14  and  finishing up Middle School in 2000.  I had  3.5 years of teaching left   so I do know that  once I reached  that  pinnacle of  my career I was  becoming more and more dedicated to fighting for the plight of my fellow teachers and  standing up  to  the  powers that were  for their  benefit, speaking out for them.. I, also,   about that time  fought to keep the Pledge  of Allegiance in our morning practices.. Our  rather  left thinking principal at the time  was  trying hard to have it eradicated..  I was  getting petitions from parents to keep it..  We won!

I don't know if they still do this, but I do hope they do..  Similarly,  we just this week had to   do very much the same thing as our pastors wanted to remove the American Flag from the main level of the church and put it in the basement  fellowship hall where mainly  the seniors have their events....pretty much out of sight of the main congregation.  We  stood up for it  in a business meeting and  they  conceded with a compromise to  move it to the library  which is open to the Common area and  thus the flag is still visible to all.  I feel our flag is  not an idol at all, but a reminder of the   freedoms we  have to   worship and  to send  out  mission minded  believers plus  it reminds of the  sacrifice many of  the older generation    endured  to secure that freedom.  Unfortunately,  so few younger generation men and women aren't called to serve  their country  lately, subsequently many younger  folks are losing sight of  that and patriotism as a whole!

4) This song was written by Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell. Brian voiced himself on an episode of PBS' Arthur. Arthur has been described as an "animated anthropomorphic aardvark" -- which can be difficult to say. Do you easily get tongue tied?

I have noticed just recently I can   sort of stumble over words..  I  think it has something to do with  my very dry mouth  due to some meds I take..

5) The French word for "mother" is "mère." What other French words do you know?

plié- tendu -Pas de bourrée-retiré-Passé

Ballet

6) Mother's Day is a big holiday for card shops. So are birthdays, weddings, and St. Patrick's Day. Hallmark sells greetings for everything from "Congratulations on Your New Job" to "Happy Retirement." Who received the most recent card you bought? 

I sent a sympathy card to  a Sunday School friend, sadly I bought a pack of Easter cards  to send out and   forgot to  send them!  Bad Schotzy!

7) Have you put away your winter clothes yet?

Thankfully, I can  give the affirmative here!  I put it off  it seemed forever  A hateful job that!!!  But I now have  things to wear ...A lovely feeling!!! 

8) Mother Winters used to scold Sam for leaving her dirty dishes in the sink. Sam admits it: as a grown up, she's still a bit of a slob. Do lean toward "neat" or "messy?"

I am definitely the slob in the house,  but Hubs is so meticulous.    He  follows  so many rabbit trails  around the house...  any little thing  not  set exactly to his liking will distract him from  the task at hand!   " OK, Monk.. here is a wipe!"

9) To celebrate Mother's Day, Sam is giving away her mother's favorite: Hershey Bars. Would you prefer classic milk chocolate, dark chocolate or milk chocolate with almonds?

Definitely dark chocolate;  it is so good for you you don't have to count the calories..right?

Thankful Thursday and 1000 Gifts

As I share my   blessings  I am, also,  counting  them as part of the 1000 Gifts    theme from Ann Voskamp.
 

To return to Rebecca Jo's page.. click here!!!

           888.  So thankful for this change in the weather...  spring showers do bring May flowers  and  these showers are ushering more seasonal temperatures!!  Praise  God!

                     

889.  Thank you , Lord for the amazing prayer  time we shared yesterday..we began a time of spiritual warfare over our land, our church, our nation and the world..  The enemy can not stand in the face of the Blood of Jesus!!  

890.  Praising God that the young lady from Germany who is living with our daughter's family this spring into  summer is working out so well.  She  came to learn conversational English and in exchange she helps around the home with  the  children and  some  light housekeeping  ... it has really helped with the laundry.  Now she is teaching the girls how to sew on the sewing machine!  Our oldest granddaughter loves her so much because she puts her hair up in gorgeous  updo's everyday!.So she likes to  color  Stained glass drawings for her to put on her  bedroom windows!

891.  Praising the Lord for several  wonderful health reports we have had lately  for  friends who  are suffering heart disease,  cancer,  extreme arthritis, and  other  ailments.  Thank you, Lord that you a re mighty to  save and heal!

892. Thnkaful for the beautiful flowers that have grown in my yard..  My sweetheart cut these for me yesterday.. I found them on my kitchen counter  last evening!

893.  I am thankful to have found  thisa t our local grocer..

Heretofore,  we only enjoyed this marvelous salad when we visited our daughter in the Boston  area.   It is  a favorite food for us.. and  we actually had it last night for supper!!!  All self contained in one package..  Delicious!!!

A Mother's Day Wednesday Medley

Everything below this line is from The National Day Calendar.

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MOTHER’S DAY – Second Sunday in May

MOTHER’S DAY

Everyone has one or has someone who is like a mother to them. On the second Sunday of May, we honor those women who are our mothers. Whether we shower her with gifts, take her to a fancy dinner or make her a homemade card, what moms want most is to be surrounded by the love of their family. Knowing the people they love are safe, sound and healthy is a mom’s number one priority.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Remember to put mom first on Mother’s Day and use #MothersDay to share on social media.

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Everything above this line is from The National Day Calendar.

1. Where did your mom grow up? My mother was born in 1923 and grew up the oldest daughter of 6 on a large dairy farm in SW Virginia.  She learned the meaning of hard work as each of those 6 girls  did the work of sons  my grandfather never had. 

  

2. Tell us about her siblings, if she has/had any. 

As I said mother had 5 sisters..  each one was born about 3 years apart.And  poor grandpa was always hopeful for a son. which  explains the names,

First of all, Janice was born as  a playmate for mother,  then came Jimmy Lou, Betty Jo, Tommye,   and then they just gave up  when in the end  Nancy was born. 

All of these gals had   formal  education following high school but my dear mother contracted a deadly disease  of the kidneys  in high school and was given a year to live....  thankfully, praise God, a cure was found and  by the time  she was   healthy  she  was already dating my dad and had no desire to go away to school so she got a good job working as a chemist's assistant in the milk plant! 

The sisters had good  careers,  two teachers,  one worked at the Agriculture Dept in DC., one as an Interior Decorator, and one for the IRS in  DC, as well.

3. What is ONE of your favorite memories you can share with us of your mom? 

This is a memory of the story mother loved to tell..   My dad graduated from HS in 1938  and  worked in the factories  of their town for a time while and he and mother dated.  In  1942 he enlisted in the Army and was stationed in San Francisco for his training. When he came home on leave  before   he was  to be sent over seas,    he and mother  sort of had a rift and he left not knowing when or if they'd

see each other again.  Mother    realizing   she  loved him so much,  just had to get  to the west coast  to  Spokane, Washington  before he  might be shipped out.  She   had no means to get there  except her only property of value,...  fine milk cow of her own which she sold for the value of a train ticket to Seattle, then  bus fare to Spokane..  So she  took off on her own in 1943  on a cross country trip to meet her beloved  with  hardly a penny to her name. 

 She did have a hamper of food for the trip.  Of course, dad with his license in hand, was so excited to see her and whisked her away  to  the  Justice of the Peace  to get married,  but lo, and behold when they got there  they were turned away because they had to have a witness who signed that they had known the couple for  some years.  😢
There sat the couple crying on a park bench outside the office when a kindly   man and  his wife  sauntered by and  sat with them to offer their assistance..(I think they weree angels, truly!)  when  mother  sobbingly told her story, the lady said,"Why, goodness me,  we've known you for  years and years." So this  couple  stood up for my parents  as they wed  on October 7th, 1043.

  Mom and dad were married 70 years.  

4. Please share a picture or two of your mom with us. 

My mother as I remember her  as a child

Mother and me on our vacation to Jamestown in 1957

Mother worked in retail most of her life..   and then  worked so hard at home sewing our clothes, gardening,  canning,  washing clothes in a wringer washer on our back porch when I was little  and hanging the clothes on the line ...  always.
In her retirement she loved her friends and spent  much of her time  channelling her talents  doing  wood crafts that she and dad traveled from show to show  as their  hobby and entertainment.

Mother back in the early 2000's  

She passed into eternity into the arm's of Jesus on December 27, 2014.  Dad had passed in December of 2013.

5. Let's not leave out the grandmothers. Share what you will. 

My mother's mother, Grandma Cox  was  a lovely  woman who  was a dairy farmer's wife 

and they  lived well,  but were very Scotch.  She did not believe in spending money frivolously!  She was extremely talented in the home arts which she passed readily on to my mother who  I believe got a greater chuck of it than most of the sisters. She taught mother how to sew a button a s decoration to hide a stain or a tear.  Mother had many tee shirts  that she wore  on our  camping vacations that were  decorated    with  quite a few  lovely buttons and embroidered flowers! Grandma was a marvelous cook and canned or preserved everything  from the farm.  Her pantry was filled with canned beef and sausage  which to day is my favorite  food she  prepared!  She had  a    quick wit and was  funny  to be with  especially in her older age,  but as  a child  spending weeks on the farm  she was  a force to reckon with.

My dad's mother, my Granny,  I loved so much in a different way.  Not being as prosperous    Granny had to work in the knitting mill  until retirement age and so I learned to expect socks and underwear   every Christmas and birthday  but that was OK!  She made up for that in her frivolity.  She would come spend a week with us  while mom and dad were at work.

I loved it when she'd say,   " Let's slip a way to the store and find something good to eat"..she loved ice cream and Fritoes! ....or  " shop at the nearby shopping mall and find something  fun to do." When we'd visit her,  she   prepared meals fit for the queen..  usually at least 3 meats.. fried chicken, pork loin,  beef, every side dish imaginable, then there would be  a coconut cake, a chocolate pie and always a caramel cake just for me..  that was my favorite  and she loved me, I won't say best,  but I was the oldest and the only grandchild that lived   hours away and didn't  live very close by!

6. Do you have any special plans for Mother's Day? Our moms and grandmas are, also, all gone now. We, too, will go to Sunday School and I may visit  a new church that I have been invited to.. My husband will have a committee  meeting during the service this Sunday. We will meet up and   decide where  he'd like to take me... Because it is a big eating out day we will probably opt to go  out for Chinese which will be great as we haven't had Chinese for some time! 

 Since our daughter lives in Massachusetts,  we  possibly may do face time some time over the weekend or on Monday following which is our usual  time. I received my card from her  yesterday.  So Sweet!!

I do have an aunt who lives nearby and a couple of long time friends I could consider my God Mother's  we should go to see and perhaps take them some flowers.  Hub's back has been  troubling him so we will just have to wait and see! Meanwhile, I shall sit out back under the garden umbrella and enjoy my new rose garden..  If he can get it planted due to his back..  The  ground has been cleared and all is set for the planting to commence!

Tuesday 4

Joining Toni  for  Tuesday 4

The 'WORD' Game

1. Favorite Stupid Saying:

2. Favorite Over Used Word:

Words I find myself using way too much..

so , such, just, really

3. Favorite Word That Makes You Laugh:

Dr. Seuss words  when I read aloud to kiddies

yuzz, sneedle,  thnad,  guff,  snuvs,  diffendoofer, 

 fluzza- ma-whizza- me -dill

4. Now Tell Me, Are You Having Fun Yet?

Yeah, fun memories!