WAITING ON HIM........

I have had several friends contact me to see what was going on that would take me away from my blog for so many days. So, I will offer a short explanation.

1. I have been very sick...physically.

2. My Mother went to live with Jesus.

3. My son had eye surgery.

4. Another son had eye surgery and then 3 emergency surgeries on his eyes due to another problem that could have cost his sight. He has his next operation on Wednesday.

5. Another son changed jobs and homes in another city, and I was not well enough to go and help him.

6. My DIL is undergoing some medical procedures.

7. My church split and we lost all the staff, the choir, most of the deacons, and 100 members. Those who left are some of the dearest people in the world to me. It is another death. And, I am shocked and sad and angry.

8. The school where I worked for 20 years, started back last week, and I miss them.

9. Joy has had to help Pop deal with things at his house, because I have not been well enough to get out. I feel guilty about this. I should be helping.

10. Alex is in quite a bit of pain...and nothing is helping.

11. The ants are back...with a vengence!

12. I miss my Mom.



I am trying to get all of this sorted out and dealt with, but it just keeps raining...and raining.
As low as I am at this point, this I know: God is in control of the Universe, of America, of Alabama, of Dothan, of Southside, of my family, of me. He is able to direct us all into the life that He has for us. He is able to bind our wounds and heal our hurts. He is able to grow much from nothing...and He is able to right wrongs. He is able to restore what has been broken. He cares that I am sad and hurt and angry and floundering. He promises me that all will be well. And, I believe that with my whole heart. It will happen. And, until it does, I will wait and watch. And, maybe cry a bit. That's the reason He made tears, isn't it? He says to 'wait on Him'. That I will do.

"God will let you laugh again; you will raise the roof with sounds of joy."
Job 8:21

And, I will. That's a promise...from Him...and me!

BE RIGHT BACK .......

There's nothing wrong. I try to take things one day at a time...but lately, several days have attacked me at once. As soon as I attend to them, and put them in their place...I'll be back.
Just a day or two. Thanks, friends!

PROMISES® Silky Smooth MILK Chocolate — Peanut Butter
DOVE® Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate PROMISES® are made of luxuriously smooth, rich chocolate that pairs the goodness of creamy peanut butter with Silky Smooth DOVE® Milk Chocolate. Each individually wrapped with a special PROMISES® message inside. An experience like no other. "I concur wholeheartedly with this claim! These are delicious! Oh.My. Goodness!!!
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If you have had a day, or a week, or actually a whole month like mine...this is a medicinal product I am sure you will find most beneficial. I hear you! I hear you saying, "Medicinal? She's not as smart as she thinks she is!" Well, I am too, smart...look at this!:
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All About Chocolate > Medicinal and Psychological Properties

The Mayans and Aztecs learned very early on the hydrating properties of cocoa butter, a substance obtained after several steps of processing. This balm became an staple item of their pharmacopoeia, used for healing burns and chapped skin, easing sunburn, treating the liver and lungs, and as a preventative against snake bite.

Its therapeutic uses were recognized in Europe for the first time in the Bref Traité de Médecine by Augustin Farfan, a physician to the court of Philip II, published in 1579. According to Farfan, two varieties of cocoa beans, roasted and well ground, when drunk very hot in the morning, is a good purgative "for those suffering from tightening of the stomach" and also serves "to eliminate stones from the kidneys."

Brillat-Savarin is the undisputed master of hot chocolate, which he calls the chocolate of the afflicted. In his excellent book on the classics of the table, he recommends chocolate as "a stomachic and even digestive tonic" and attributes to cocoa restorative properties capable of reviving even the most faltering strength by adding all the wisdom of the east: vanilla, cinnamon, mace, cane sugar and a few grains of ambergris.

Cholesterol
Cocoa contains what is called "good cholesterol" and does not harm the body

Let us not attribute to chocolate faults that it does not possess
In itself, it isn't fattening if eaten plain and in moderation, with allowances for the different types of chocolate. Dark chocolate with a high concentration of cocoa is not fattening. On the other hand, the lower the quality of chocolate, the higher the cocoa butter and sugar content … so beware! If you want to inverse the process and gain weight, we suggest caramel-filled white chocolate - foolproof!

Cocoa has no effect on the liver, even in the case of people suffering from hepatic complaints. Biological examinations have not revealed any effect on liver cells. No, chocolate is not aphrodisiac, though it is a stimulant - sometimes people confuse the two.

SOURCE: The Worldwide Gourmet .........and even if I don't understand ALL those words, I can tell they are 'smart' words, and that, in itself, lends more credence to their claim. And mine! I'm just saying...

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And, if you are a purist...one who prefers pure, unmessed-around-with, chocolaty goodness...you'll find none better than the dark chocolate.

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“There is nothing better than a good friend…
except a good friend with CHOCOLATE!”

“A balanced diet is one with a
Chocolate bar in both hands!”


“Money talks…
But
Chocolate sings!”

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A Public Service Announcement brought to you in the public interest by the good people at Gatherings......

SUNDAY SERMON

AMEN

COOKIN' WITH TONJA

I am not a cook. Never have been...never will be. Oh, I can do it. But, it just is not a fun way to pass the time. I mean...you put all that hard work into it...and someone comes along and eats it all up, and that's the end of that. Well...not actually the 'end'...there is still one more step, but I won't even go there. Well, actually, I do go there, and so do you, but, let's just change the subject.

ANYWAY...my friend Keetha sent me an urgent request for a recipe or two. Ha! She just did not know who she was asking, did she? Well, the one for Banana Pudding was actually Paula Deen's Recipe...so I was pretty safe with that one.

But, she also wanted to know the recipe for squash casserole. Now, I could tell from her description of good squash casserole, that she was talking about the kind that I made. I make mine just like my Mom did. It was the hardest thing to learn, too. Because, she wouldn't write it down for me. I remember her saying, "Tonja Lynn, you do not need a recipe for this...just make it and you will know if it is right." I do not know why she thought I would know if it was right or not...but, after several attempts...I did get it right. And, Mom never wrote it down. And, no one has ever asked me to write it down for them, either...until now. So, I did. I wrote it down and sent it to her. I hope it is good when she makes it...if not...I'm sure it can't be my fault!



TONJA'S BEST EVER SOUTHERN SQUASH CASSEROLE LIKE MAMA USED TO MAKE

Get some squash....wash them...and cut off any bad spots. Then slice into cute little round pieces.

Put them in a pot and add some water...and salt and pepper. If you are a real cook,
proceed to cutting up an onion, dicing, actually, and add it to the pot.
If you are not a real cook and just play one occasionally for the family...
you can open up a bag of frozen chopped and diced onions and add these to the pot.
If you take the bag and put it inside the empty cereal box in the garbage can...
no one will ever know that you did not chop those little demons yourself. And, I am NOT telling!

Boil the squash and onions until tender. You can tell because the little seeds
come sliding out of the cute little round squash you so carefully cut up earlier.
And the whole mess gets a little slimy looking...but, don't judge the end result from that! A little slime never hurt nobody!

Next drain the water off the squash and pour into a big bowl. (Big is a relative term here...it depends on the size bowls you have living in your kitchen. I like to use the biggest because I have a tendency to get so carried away with the mixing process that things seem to fly out of the bowl onto the cabinet. So the bigger the bowl the better for me.)

Now here comes the part where you can really feel like you know what you are doing..... as if you are one in a long line of super cooks who never use a recipe for anything. You just 'feel' what is right! "Recipe? Why, no...don't need one...this dish comes from my soul!"

Into the bowl of squash, start crumbling saltine crackers...crumble...crumble...at least 1 sleeve. Then add an egg or two. Then add some milk. And then lots of grated cheese. LOTS.
Mix all this together. If it is too soupy...add more crackers. If it is a little dry...add more milk. It needs to be kinda/sorta soupy...just a little,
but not too much. You should not see the soupiness at all. It should all be absorbed into the crackers. But is should not be dry...How can I make this clearer to you? OK if you put it into the casserole dish...one of those oblong clear glass kind...it should slide freely from one side to the other. If it will not slide...it is not soupy enough. Whew! I hope you understand that! And, by the way...when you are buying the frozen chopped onions, and I know you will,....go ahead and buy the already grated cheese. It is oh, so much easier..and you don't have to worry about having one of those nasty accidents where you scrape all the skin off your knuckles with the cheese grater!! Once you get the sliding, soupy goodness into the casserole dish...cover the top with more cheese...Lots!

Then bake...maybe 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Just to warm through and melt the cheese.

Remove...cool, just a little...and enjoy. Serve with fresh, home grown tomatoes...
not the ones that come out of a green house or grow in water.
The kind that grow in good ole dirt and get God's sunshine on them everyday.

I hope you enjoy eating this delicious casserole...as much as I have enjoyed instructing you in the making .



"What's that you say?" "Why, no...no, I haven't ever thought about writing a cook book. It's a fine idea, though. I can just see the chapters I'd write."

SANDWICHES...Quick and Easy!
VEGETABLES...Hope you like squash!
COOKIES......Start in the freezer section and look for the bright yellow packaging that says Toll House...
DESSERTS...the many things you can use to top store bought ice cream!
MEATS...most grocery stores and even Wal-Mart have wonderful Rotisserie Chickens!

In all honesty...I really did head up a cook book committee at our church one time. And, it was a rousing success! I was smart enough to only allow excellent cooks on the committee with me, though. We actually sold out of the first printing and had to have a second printing!

**********71309**********

Today is my Mom's birthday, and I am feeling sad. But, it's OK. Sadness will move on to sweet memories...and life will go on. There will be times to celebrate, and more times to mourn. Life will continue to change. There will be family times that will bring about happy tears, and sad tears as well. But, through it all...we will lift our voices to praise Him who joined us together as a family. We have fully lived our times together, and will continue to do so. Even as we are apart, there is the blessed hope that our Father promises. For we shall be together again...but, until then...we will celebrate life!

I wrote the following poem the day after Mom died.

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71309

The lazy Sunday afternoon
With it’s promise of rest, and reading, and quiet
Is shattered...quickly...and untimely.
A shatter that shakes to the core,
A shatter that chills to the bone,
A shatter that is first-heard
But, known, nonetheless.

The seeing.
The knowing.
The hope.
The reality.
The decision.
The peace.

Waiting, and loving.
Thinking, and praying.
Crying and rejoicing
And singing…blessed songs of hope and peace and strength and
Praise...always praise.

Breathing in and breathing out...
Natural... peaceful...
Like waves
Rolling in and rolling out;
Started at creation
To end at His word.

Lips to praise.
Souls to weep.
Arms to hold.
Hearts to break.

And Spirits to wait.

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"We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done. ..so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children."
Psalm 78:4-6

TIME FOR LITTLE LEVITY

lev⋅i⋅ty  /ˈlɛvɪti/ Spelled Pronunciation [lev-i-tee]

–noun, plural -ties. 1. lightness of mind, character, or behavior; lack of appropriate seriousness or earnestness.
2. an instance or exhibition of this.
3. fickleness.
4. lightness in weight.

Synonyms:
1, 2. frivolity, flippancy, triviality, giddiness.


Have you ever wanted to take a swim....right now...right this very minute....



Have you ever been so angry that you wanted to bite something? And you did...you bit the first thing to come hopping by!



Have you ever really paid attention to those signs in the laundromat?




Have you ever been talking to someone, then turn around and they're gone?



Have you ever had a little boy who went into the bathroom...and stayed just a little bit too long?





Have you ever been thankful for duct tape??!!??

THANK-YOU

I really do want to thank you for your kind comments on my posts recently about my Mom. I know there have been a lots of things about her lately, and this is not going to turn into a memorial blog about her life.

However, there are some things that I want to document here. Things I hope my children and their children can look at in years to come and feel as if they know a little bit about their mother, and her mother and her sister. I want the fun things we did and the relationship we had to be celebrated because it was special. Maybe just special to us...but that's OK. I want those who read this in future years to understand just how blessed we have been as a family...and the rich heritage that they have.

My Mom was so proud of my writing on this blog. She knew very little about the computer. But, she had her own laptop, and Adam had worked with her to teach her a little bit. He had set her up a shortcut, so that all she had to do was to click 1 button, and she would be right here at Gatherings. She would read every night before she went to bed. Sometimes she would tell me that she and Pop would sit down together and read what I had written that day. She liked my way of writing and she told me once it felt just like I was 'talking to her.' That was a big compliment to me. She also encouraged me to put some of my stories and experiences down in a book. She also wanted me to write some books for children. I do not know if I will ever do all of that, but I would like to try.

But, for now...I just want to put what I am feeling on paper (or computer screen, as it were). I do not want to forget any of the things I am feeling right now. And, I do not think that I will, but if my mind continues to play little games with me like 'Where's the Car Keys?' and 'Where Would You Hide If You Were A Black Shoe?', then I better write it in a place I can't lose!

Thank you for indulging me and continuing to visit me. I thank you for your kindness. You have spoken such comforting words and written so kindly and understanding. I thank you, my bloggy friends. I, indeed, am richer because of your friendships.

JOURNEYS NOT TAKEN

Joy and Mom and I have taken some fun trips together through the years. Some to go on doctor visits. some to go visiting friends, some just for shopping. But, whatever the reason, we could always have fun times together. We would laugh, and be silly, and eat, and look for shoes, and explore new shops, and laugh, and laugh, and laugh. Now Joy and Mom never have enjoyed 'junking' or antique shops...they always liked that pretty, prissy stuff. And, they would wait patiently for me to 'run in' and see if there was some treasure sitting there with my name on it. I'm certain there were many things that were meant for me that I never got to see!
Oh well...didn't need any of it!


Mom liked to go into shops and just leisurely go up and down the aisles. She used to say, "I just want to go by myself, with my own buggy, and no one rushing me." And, Joy and I would let her do that. And, she loved to Christmas shop. Just a few weeks ago, I told her that Joy and I were getting ready to take her on a little trip. I asked her where she wanted to go. I said we would not go too far. In recent years she has not wanted to go very far from home. She has always loved Atlanta. She loved to go with me to Market, and she had several favorite shops she liked to visit. But, no, she didn't want to go to Atlanta. "Too busy", she said. She would like to go to Birmingham. Oh, she had some fav shops there, too. She loved White Flowers Gallery, and At Home and Harmony Landing in Homewood. She loved Smith and Hawken, and Pottery Barn, and Restoration Hardware, and Coldwater Creek and Talbots, and The Cheesecake Factory and PFChangs at the Summit. The last time we went we ate at a Panera Bread at the Summit for breakfast, and she enjoyed the beautiful view from our table. She enjoyed visiting the Galleria in Hoover. She used to love The Mole Hole that was there, and Bombay Company, and of course, Cindy's Cinnamon Rolls. And, Hobby Lobby. And, a special shoe store in Hoover Unique Feet, that was one of the few places that could fit her feet. She would go and sit and try on shoes for and hour or two. And, several little gift shops in that area. And World Market.
And, others I'll think of later.



As we travelled on our last trip we made together, we talked of many things. We were travelling to Birmingham to see her doctor for a follow up visit. We were planning things for Lori's wedding, and things for my house, and she was planning ways she wanted to redo her living room. We discussed friends and people we had known. We talked of our church, and thoroughly dissected each grandchild's life and things they needed to do to make it better. We always had the best ideas for everyone...as if they wanted or needed our input!








I turned to Mom at one point, and asked her if she could take a trip to anywhere in the world...where would it be. Now Mom and Pop did much travelling together in years past. They have been to Japan, Africa, Greece, the Holy Lands, Hawaii, Alaska, Guatemala, Peru, Belize, Honduras, Russia, and all across the US. She said, "I have always wanted to tour through North Carolina. (That's her home state.)
I would love to visit all those places that I heard people talking about when I was growing up. I would like to go to some of the small towns, and to the coast, and back to Wilmington." (Her parents lived there for a while.) Joy chose New England and I chose Hawaii.

We decided then and there, on I65, between Troy and Montgomery, that we would take that trip. We would wait for it to get a little cooler...and closer to the time the leaves would begin changing color. She said that it was really the only place she really would like to go. She decided that we would stop first and spend a few days with her sisters and brother before moving along on our journey.

And, that was our plans. And, that was our desire. Joy and I were looking forward to making that trip, too. We spent many summers in NC and had such fond memories of sweet times spent with relatives there. We were looking forward to discovering places with Mom. We knew there would be lots of 'Fancy Nancy' shops to peruse. And I knew there would be antique shops for me to sift through. They could just find them a bench and sit a spell! And we knew that when things would get silly and she would try to act 'tough'...she would shake her finger at us and tell us to "behave!" And, she knew good and well we would not stop until it was all played out!


Instead, Mom went on a different journey. A much better journey. To the ultimate vacation destination! Heaven...where cool breezes blow, and the sky is bluer than blue and the clouds are as white as cotton, and the streets are shiny gold. And the sun...why! there is no need for sun there...God, Himself, is the Light. She is not having to sit down and rest a while as she explores the beauty there. And, she is not having to stay within close range of a restroom at all times. Her fingers are not twisted from arthritis, so she can do all she wants to do. Her hips are not aching anymore, so she is able to walk and talk with family and friends and with God.


Oh, I'm sure she is enjoying this trip far better than the one we would have taken her on. But, I'm still a little sad that we did not get to go on our little 'girl's trip'. I know we would have had as much fun as we always did. Now, instead of exploring the places she missed in NC...she is seeing the glory of Heaven! And, she can just be our tour guide when we arrive!

WEDDING ... 70's STYLE !

I have scanned 70 wedding pics into the computer today and color corrected (what little I can) almost all of them. They are still orangey around the edges, and the colors have faded out in spots, but at least they are now safe from further damage.

FYI...I KNOW I was much more grown up than I look like in these pictures. I was a very mature 19 year old! And, Don...well doesn't he look like a very mature 21? Just babies...just babies. Our wedding date--December 30, 1972.


And, these were my bridesmaid's dresses. I know, everyone thought I was crazy back then, too. They all said, "But, they don't look like bridesmaids dresses." No, no
they didn't...but I loved them. And, the flowers, too. Just my style!


Mom, Pop, me, and Joy. I don't know how Mom got her hair up so high! And, those ruffled shirts and BIG bow ties! Wow, how styles change! I remember that her orchid corsage was the same color as her dress. And, the same color orchids were in my bouquet! Thanks, June...I had the most gorgeous bouquets!


Could my 'going away outfit' be any bolder? And, I still have my new black, suede shoes!

STAYING BUSY

Well, after mono, ear infection, strep throat, and pneumonia...I think I am finally beginning to feel a little better. Of course, that is not saying much. I could only get better, cause if I had gotten worse, I'd be gone from the planet! I have been through 2 different antibiotics, but did not tell much difference until the third one. My ears are still stopped up, so I can not hear very well yet. And, my fatigue level...well, let's just say, it takes all I can do to get up and go to the bathroom. I know I am still fighting the mono, too. Well, I suppose all that sounds like complaining...so, sorry.

I have been quite content to lay in the bed and do nothing, but browse the computer and write a little. Oh, and watch that sad TV. I can't seem to find any of that 'quality programming'. Really, I've been so sick that is all I could do. But, I have about had enough of that! I want to get up and do something, but I just can't yet. Think this may help me?
Anyway, my plan to keep my sanity has been to scan pics into the computer. I have gathered lots of old pictures through the years of Mom and Pop and their families, and of Don's parents and their families. So, for the sake of posterity, I am doing my best to organize and label them, and save them on the computer.

I was quite dismayed to find a while back that my wedding pictures, from 1972, were already discoloring. Of course, they were stored in one of those plastic sleeved albums. That was before someone discovered that acid free is the way to go with preserving photos. So, I have removed all the pics from the albums, and I want to scan those, too. It really is a shame that so many of us will have wedding pics and others, too, that will not stand the test of time. Have you checked yours lately? It may be a good idea to do so. And, if any of them are in those albums with the plastic or vinyl sleeves...take them out immediately!

Now, one guess who this adorable baby girl is.....


And, here she is with her equally adorable parents at Panama City Beach, FL.

JULY 7, 1951 WEDDING DAY

Ran across these wedding pics of Mom and Pop today. Weren't they both just beautiful? It makes me happy just to look at the love in their faces.


I think Mom's dress is so pretty! And the shoes! They decorated the church for their wedding on Saturday. Then on Sunday, after the morning worship service, they had their wedding. Mom told me that they went into the woods and cut down all the decorations. Then they laid sheets down on the floor. She had an orchid on top of a white Bible. The church is still holding services and has a beautiful newer building. This is where my grandparents are buried. Mom and Pop were married for 58 years.

PROMISES

I came across this little poem years ago, when I was a young mom. I have always loved its rhythm and choice of words, but especially its message. So many times people think that just because you love the Lord, you should be immune from hurts and trials. But, that is not what He promised us. We may go through the fire...but we won't have to go alone. And that's a promise!