GOOD-BYE 2013

Well here it is.  The end of another year and a new year looming bright in the very near future.  I have seen many New Year's Eve's come and go.  Billy and I always went out to "party" on New Year's Eve with Paul and Joetta and many other friends.  At the stroke of midnight we would embrace and wish each other good things.  We never dreamed, in those happy days, that one day that group would dwindle down to just Paul and me going to a restaurant for an early dinner.  My, oh, my how times change.  That is my schedule for tonight - dinner with Paul at Woody's Steak House.  It will be a nice evening.  The food will be excellent and I'm quite sure that the conversation will consist of many "do you remember the year that so and so happened?"  We have collected so many memories in the many years of our friendship that we could play the "remember when" game for many hours.

2013 has been a good year in many ways and not so wonderful in others.  I have kept you up-to-date with this blog but I will sorta' go over some high spots to summarize this year.  As usual, my year always starts with Kim's birthday celebration. This is usually a "Mom and Sisters Luncheon" which brings lots of laughing, teasing, etc.  My high school group, called The Committee, had their annual Soup Lunch in February where we caught up on each other's Christmas and, sadly to say, they all want to talk about their aches, pains, medicines and doctor's visits.  This seems to be the norm for 80 year old people these days.  Quite frankly, it is not my favorite topic of conversation.  I have my share of health issues but I try very hard to not bore others with my symptoms. 

My church is undergoing many changes since the beginning of 2013.  My preacher, Phil Barnes, was replaced by a much younger man - in fact he was our Youth Minister.  I love Phil and have missed his most inspiring sermons.  I have never gotten the truth about his leaving, Jason coming and why all of this happened.  I have found out, however, that politics are played at church just as much as in government.  We have a new Praise and Worship Leader (the former one was asked to resign) and I am not happy with his performance - and performance is what it is.  He all but dances across the stage and has the Praise Team and others so jazzy you would think you were at a concert, and that is almost what it is because nobody in the congregation knows these songs and therefore the ones singing are the ones he is leading.  Other changes have occurred that has made me feel like that maybe it is time for me to look for another worship area.  Of course, my Sunday School Class is keeping me at Madison.  Nila teaches wonderful lessons in spite of suffering with cancer and I have so many very good friends that I see every week.  I will have to make a decision on this subject and it won't be an easy decision.

My greatest source of entertainment this year was watching Carter play baseball.  I became quite attached to the team and the parents when Danny and Tracey took me to Florida for a baseball tournament.  The trip was wonderful in every way.  With my limited eyesight and my use of oxygen, I wasn't sure if I would be a burden but I did seem to "hold my own" and it turned out just great.  Then came football season and, again, Carter gave me many weeks of enjoyment.  He scored many touchdowns, racked up over 1,000 yards of rushing and did a terrific job.  He has been awarded with a scholarship to play baseball at Trevecca Nazarene University.  Since that school is located in Nashville, I can visualize four years of watching him play baseball.

Nita and Ray had to close the clinic they had opened.  There is just too much competition in Hendersonville.  It seems like there is a clinic on every corner - along with banks.  You wonder how any of those things can survive.  Nita took a job at a doctor's office and is surrounded by very nice people who seem to appreciate her personality and talents.  Ray has also taken a job.  They have talked to me about closing up my apartment and moving into their home.  I am praying about this decision and asking God to help me make the right decision.  So far I just thinking about it, worrying about it, praying about it and, hopefully will come up with the right thing to do very soon.  I seem to manage very well here even though my eyesight is getting a bit dimmer.  However, my Retina Specialist has told me that I will never go blind.  I can still read big print books, and my Kindle.  I can watch TV.  I can write and read this computer screen.  I have lovely friends, as well as family, that drive me to places such as church, grocery, and anywhere else I need to go.  So you see, I am torn between leaving my beautiful place where I have made some friends and enjoy walking with Houston on the lovely grounds of the complex and it is so convenient to everything which makes it easy for others to help me out with needs.  I will continue to seek God's advice and make a decision in the near future.

I celebrated my 80th Birthday in grand style.  It was the highlight of 2013.  Over 100 people came to give me good wishes and lots of hugs and kind words. I received many lovely gifts, even though the guests had been told "no gifts".  Many pictures were made and I have been enjoying going through them yesterday.  Kim is going to make a scrap book of these pictures and it will be a keepsake to be proud of and enjoy for the rest of my life.  My girls had worked on this party for many months and it was just perfect in every detail. 

Many birthdays were celebrated in 2013 in this family.  With 41 members, you can be sure that somebody is having a birthday, anniversary and other red letter days every month.  I had a new great-granddaughter born in Jackson, MS in December.  Louise Grace Maddux was born to Chris and Ashley.  They call her Lucy, which I think is so cute and southern.  I am so blessed with all of these little children that I call Great-Grandchildren.  The oldest is Emma at age 13 and the youngest is Lucy.  In between there is a group of beautiful girls and boys - so active, so intelligent, so sweet and affectionate and such a blessing. 

The Christmas Season has passed now.  It was filled with lots of luncheons, dinners, cookie-swap luncheon,  shopping, and a beautiful candlelight service at First Baptist on Christmas Eve.  I was included in my daughter's celebrations and that was lovely for me.  My decorations are being packed away and I am making a new calendar and getting ready to get up in the morning praising God that He allowed me to live 80 years and that I am now facing another year with anticipation.  I do not know what will happen in 2014 but I do know who will control what happens and that is God.  He has a plan for each of us and I look forward to seeing what he has in store for me.  I know that it will be okay whatever it might be because God is good - all the time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL WHO MAY READ THIS BLOG.

BUSY DAYS LEADING TO CHRISTMAS

Well, here we are, already the 13th day of December.  I have loved every day and every night of the month so far.  I started out with a party on the 2nd day of the month.  My Monday Morning Bible Class had their Christmas Party at my friend, Margit Prosser's Buffet  Restaurant in Hermitage.  We had a private room and the meal was delicious.  After we ate our lunch we pushed the tables back, made a circle with the chairs and played "Dirty Santa".  That was a hoot.  So many people wanting the same gift and all of the teasing and pouting that went on among the 42 women that are dear friends.  My gift is a darling bird house that looks like it has snow on the roof and I put it on my porch where it really looks festive and pretty.  On Tuesday, the 3rd I went to Music Club.  As I have said before, I have no idea why I am in a music club when I don't sing or play the piano or organ, but every now and then I give a reading that seems to be enjoyable to the members.  Since this was a Christmas meeting, I did a drama.  I acted out "The Littlest Angel" and boy did I put my heart in it.  I must have done well because they clapped heartily and one woman told me she almost cried.  I had practiced it over and over until I had it down pat.  I could flap my arms like wings and even pretended to have a halo on my head that was slipping down over my eyes.  I can be a real "ham" when I need to be.  On Wednesday, the 4th, I went to Nila Sherrill's house for our tradition of making chocolate covered cherries. For the days preceding this event, I had made 15 batches of fondant.  Nila bought the cherries and the chocolate chips.  We met at 10:30 and Linda Highers melted the chocolate and paraffin in the kitchen while Susan Meece, Nila and I sat at a table in the den and wrapped each cherry in the fondant.  After we get a tray finished we give them to Linda who dips them in the chocolate.  We do this over and over until all the cherries are gone.  For lunch Paul Kemp and Jerry Sherrill followed another tradition and went to Sonic and purchased our lunch.  We have been following this same agenda for many years.  This year Nila has been diagnosed with cancer and has had chemo and she is resting now but will go back on chemo in January.  I pray that we will be able to continue this tradition for many years and that Nila will be cancer free after this next round of chemo.
On Thursday, the 5th, the East High Lunch Bunch teamed up with Litton Lunch Bunch for a Christmas Luncheon at Second Harvest Food Bank.  We had a great meal prepared by Second Harvest and was entertained with Christmas music by Matt and LeAnne Steinhauer.  I was proud that the group donated $1,000 to Second Harvest to help them feed homeless, aged and many others that need a hot meal every day.  Friday, the 6th, I went with Paul to his Sunday School Class Christmas Dinner at First Baptist Church.  He has a lovely group of friends in that class that are so friendly with me and make me feel so welcome.  The teacher, Bill Hall, loves to tease me about my Church of Christ religion - no music, etc. I was supposed to go with Tracey to a Mother/Daughter Luncheon on Saturday but it was cancelled due to bad weather.  That was a mistake because the weather turned out to be okay.  The TV Weather people love to scare everybody to death with their reports of slick streets, etc.

  The next week started out just like the former one - the Board of Directors of the East Alumni Association had a party at Marilyn Kooch's house.  We had finger foods, egg nog and other beverages.  This year we had a really nice man who is a neighbor of Marilyn to play the piano so we all sang many Christmas carols and had a good time.
                                                 

 On Tuesday, the 10th, my group of friends from high school that we call the "Reunion Committee" had our annual Christmas party at the alumni house.  Tracey helped me get everything together so that each table had a vase with a red rose and greenery in it.  Barbara brought red table cloths.  Everybody brought a dish of food and we had a feast.  After lunch we played Dirty Santa and that game produced many toy Snoopy dolls that walked and sang Jingle Bells.  I think we probably had 15 of those crazy things walking all over the place making noise.  That bunch just loves those toys.  Next year I guess I will have to break down and buy some sort of toy like that.  I think that bunch has really gone into "second childhood" mode.  Well. that ended the party circuit and now all I have left is the Christmas Concert at First Baptist Church on Saturday, the 14th.  Sara will come and Paul will take us to early supper and then to the music.  I always enjoy this event because they have a big orchestra and a huge choir.  They have been practicing for months so it should be quite a spectacular concert.  Tomorrow morning the apartment complex here is having a pancake breakfast with Santa Claus.  Kim is bringing John Patrick and Joesea out and we will have pancakes and they will have their pictures taken with Santa.  Sara is coming also and she will spend the night with me.  You can bet that we will play a few games of Scrabble.  Next week I have got to get my shopping done.  Kim and I always have a Mother/Daughter day where we go to IHOP for breakfast and then go to the Mall and shop.  We usually get everything we need in this one day and then she wraps them and has them ready for Christmas morning. 

I am very pleased to report that I have stayed well thus far (knock on wood).  Most years after I go to some parties and hug people and shake hands I come down with a bad cold or sinus infection.  The weather has been so cold - in the 20's and 30's - with a couple of light snows so I guess that has frozen the germs.  I think that is not the truth but it sounds good.  Anyway, I am healthy as I write this. 

Yes, I am healthy which is wonderful.  I do see a difference in my eyesight, however.  I do real well in the daytime and in bright light but in dim lights of restaurants and other places I can't distinguish faces or people that I know.  Fortunately, I usually have someone with me who can whisper the name of the person I am looking at and can't call their name.  I am doing really well with the oxygen these days.  Some days, the ones where I am here at home all day, I don't use oxygen much at all.  If I go out and walk or move around a lot I do get short of breath and then I break out the portable tank and get my oxygen level back up to where it should be.  All in all, I am a very blessed to be able to go to parties, concerts and visit with friends and enjoy the Christmas decorations, music and all of the things that go with the season. 

I forgot to tell that on the night of the 10th Kim and Samantha Medina picked me up and we went to Carrabba's Restaurant for dinner and then downtown Nashville to Bridgestone Arena to a Donny and Marie Osmond Concert.  The dinner and concert was Samantha's gift to Kim and I got to go as a bonus.  It was a delightful concert and brought back so many memories of Donny and Marie when they were children and Kim was so in love with Donny.  One year, when he was about 12 years old and so was Kim, we took her to see him in concert.  She had a purple jumpsuit because purple was his favorite color and she wore some awful smelling perfume that we bought at Walgreen's Drug Store because that was his favorite perfume.  The whole auditorium smelled like that perfume that night and all of the little girls had on purple.  I sat there the other night and smiled at those thoughts. 

I have so many wonderful memories of things that have happened to me and to my children that make me smile and glad that I have had the life I have had.  I have no regrets.  I have wonderful children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and I am still making memories every day.  That is why I can say with such conviction that God is good - all the time.