How Did That Happen

Not too long ago my daughter came to tell us the very exciting news that she was pregnant. This baby was much wanted and the answer to many prayers. My third granddaughter was beautiful and perfect in every way. She has filled our world with joy.

I can't quite figure out this beautiful baby girl grew up so fast. I blinked my eyes and she became a young woman. Today she is on her way to Ohio to start her freshman year at Kent State University. It is a day filled with many emotions as she begins this new phase on her journey though life.

We love you Sofie. You fill us up with pride.

My Amazing Son

I was sitting on my porch reading this afternoon when I noticed a good-looking young man walking up my driveway. It took a minute to realize that this was actually my younger son. Paul has been working hard over the past year to loose weight and get healthier. I have been very proud of his efforts, but today he looked so healthy, happy, and confident that I hardly recognized him. He is a school teacher and he had bought new clothes for the start of the school year that show off his slimmer body. He was stopping by to tell me about the first day of school. When he walked into the first meeting of this new school year after not seeing any of co-workers this summer, he said everyone stopped talking and just starred at him. Then they all stood up and started cheering for him . It was really a feel good moment. A loss of 120 pounds does make a man look better. I think his accomplishment is amazing.

Down By the Sea

We have just returned from a few days by the sea with family and friends that are like family. It was such a lovely few days. I think my favorite activity was just sitting on the porch and visiting together, but all of it was fun.

We enjoyed the surf.



We enjoyed the sand.


Mik and Alex found that flying a two-string kite is more difficult than expected.


We learned that stand-up paddle boarding is harder than it looks.


Mark found this was the best way up handling the paddle board.


Julie thought this was the preferred way to paddle board.


Ann found her yoga training useful and was able to actually stand up on the stand-up paddle board.


Tim and Gary thought the kayaks sounded like a lot more fun.


We are glad to be home, but we did have fun down by the sea.

Why I Teach VBS

After a very hot week of Vacation Bible School I am very tired today. Each night for the past week I told an exciting, wonderful story from the Bible. It took a lot of energy to make these wonderful stories come alive three times every evening for a group of very energetic children. This morning I am feeling every one of my seventy years, but I am also feeling that sense of happiness that comes from being part of a something important and successful.




Faith in the almighty loving God is at the core of who I am. I want to pass that faith on to another generation so they will feel that same love and security that can only come from God. So we sang and danced and even went inside the smelly belly of a whale to hear exciting stories about the God who made them and loves them.



Every night I received wonderful hugs from some of the children. I listened as they excitedly told their parents about the story of the night. I don’t know that they will remember all the stories, but I do hope they always remember that they are loved by the loving, powerful God.

Time for Grandsons

We have just returned from a three day vacation with our two teen-aged grandsons. We went to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA where we rode some scary rides, saw some silly shows, watched the fireworks, played in the wave pool and floated along the lazy river. We had discussions about important topics like whether pretzels taste better in twisted shapes or straight and the fact that grilled cheese sandwiches should always be cut in triangles. There was also some talk about what they wanted to do with their lives and what they need to do to achieve their goals. Our sixteen year old with his learner’s permit drove the whole way there and most of the way back. He only scared me a couple of times.

In my head these two are my little boys. In reality they are now man-sized almost adults. I am always surprised at how quickly children grow up. Enjoy each precious moment with your little ones.

TG Fowler

During communion last Sunday I began to think about all the people who helped to shape my faith. There is a long list, but Sunday my thoughts centered on my grandfather, TG Fowler. My memories of my grandfather are of an old man who loved me enormously and told funny stories. He was a preacher at a large Church of Christ in Texas. I did not know him when he was a young man, but I have heard a lot of stories. The world has gone through a lot of changes in the past hundred years. I wonder what he would think if he could see us now.



I have a book titled, “Gospel Preachers Who Blazed the Trail.” It was published in 1911. It contains stories of men who were preachers in the Churches of Christ at the turn of the twentieth century. My grandfather was one of those men.

He was one of eleven children born on a cotton farm in Tennessee. His help was need on the farm and he was not able to attend school as a child. He was sixteen when he was first permitted to attend classes. He could not yet read. I have a very hard time imagining a life without reading, but it was a common experience in the 1890s. He was able to go to school for three months each year for the next three years. When he left home at age nineteen he was just barely able to read. After he married my grandmother he enrolled in the Gunter Bible College, a small school run by the Churches of Christ in Texas. He attended classes there for three semesters.

My grandfather may have lacked formal education, but that man loved God and he loved the Bible. When I was little we would play the Bible Game. I would read a verse from the Bible and he would quote both the verse before and the verse after mine. It was very rare that he wasn’t correct. He had the entire book memorized. I thought he was amazing. His faith was innocent, pure and contagious.

My mom told stories about going to hear him preach at arbor meetings. He would preach every night for two weeks and crowds would gather under the shady arbor to listen. She and her sister would sit in the buggy and listen. After preaching each night he would baptize people in the river. I think it must have looked a bit like the baptism scene in “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou.”

I now worship in a Presbyterian church, but sometimes during communion I remember my grandfather. He was a good man. He and my grandmother raised five children who all loved God. My mother is the laughing one on the left in the back row.



This is the article published with his picture in book from 1911.

THOMAS GIDEON FOWLER was born near Lewisburg, Tenn., April 20, 1883. His parents moved to Texas in 1893. Thomas was old enough to be of service in the raising and gathering of cotton. Being the second boy and fourth child of 11 children, the father unable to work, it was necessary for him to stay out of school and assist in making a living for the family.
He was 16 years old when he entered school, at that time not knowing his letters. He attended a small country school three months for three years. The day he was 19 he began life for himself. Seven months later he again entered school and continued for nearly two years.
September 14, 1904, he was married to Miss Jessie Mullins. November after his marriage he entered Gunter Bible College, where he was a student for nearly three sessions.
He began preaching the first year after entering Gunter Bible College, and by the grace of God, and the help of his faithful wife he has continued to preach the word with success --- though at times he has had to teach some in the public schools.

Walking

Yesterday I was part of a group of people walking to raise money for research to find better treatments and a cure for Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis. Our family team was able to raise $2262 for the cause. Hopefully one day treatments will be found for my grandchildren and all those others who afflicted by this yucky disease.

Because we live near our nation's capital we had a beautiful route to walk. We met the other walkers on the grounds of the Washington Monument.


The walkers headed out about six in the evening, heading towards the Tidal Basin.


By the time we reached the tidal basin we (my sweetie and I) had fallen to the end of the pack and were falling behind. My not quite recovered foot and my arthritic knees were beginning to complain. When the other walkers turned left at the Tidal Basin to walk around the Jefferson Memorial, we turned right and found a bench.


We enjoyed the view and the lovely weather and then walked about a block to the place where the others would complete their journey around the basin and we joined the route to the finish line. We cut more than a mile off the route with our shortcut. We were strolling along when the first of the walkers overtook us. A father and his young son had obviously run the entire way and were far ahead of the rest of the pack. I heard the boy say too his dad as they ran past, “Wow, those old people really must be fast.”

We walked on past the world War II Memorial with the Lincoln Memorial in the background. It was a beautiful sight.


Approaching the end of the course we saw the White House and found a comfortable wall to sit and wait for the rest of our family. How many other places could you walk with such beautiful scenery?


We all crossed the finish line together. It had been a good day.

Golden Afterglow

I think we are both radiating a golden afterglow as reflect on the wonderful weekend our kids planned to celebrate our golden anniversary.

We began with a crab feast on Friday night with small gathering of family and friends at our daughter Ann's house. It was a lovely evening full of food and laughter. I was a bit distracted looking forward to the big party on Saturday, wondering what surprises our kids had in store for us.

Saturday we were told not to arrive for the party until it was time for the festivities to begin, so we spent the morning at a dance recital watching our thirteen year old granddaughter. Since we have no previous experience at celebrating our fiftieth anniversary we assume a dance recital is a normal part of the festivities. Finally it was time to put on our party clothes and head off to the church.

When we walked into the church hall the first thing we saw was my wedding gown displayed on a mannequin. Our daughter wore the same dress twenty-seven years ago, but it had been packed away since then. It is still as beautiful as I remembered it to be. We looked around and the next thing I saw was my three handsome grandsons all dressed up in white shirts and ties. This was not there normal attire and they did look beautiful. The room was decorated with flowers and candles and looked like a great place for a party. A big wedding cake filled one corner with a groom's cake next to it, decorated to look like a left handed dice.

Guests began to arrive and we were busy greeting them when our daughter called us to greet some special guests. There stood Randy and Edna. They had been our best-man and maid of honor. We have not seen them in over thirty years. We had all been best friends in college and for the many years after that. Careers and family have separated us, but our love and friendship has continued. I could not believe they were here. It took my breath away. What a wonderful surprise!


Our son-in-law called everyone to attention and we all sat down as he welcomed everyone and said some sweet things about us. He started talking about our wedding and how they had recently seen some color pictures of the event and discovered that our bridesmaids had not worn gray dresses. They had been a lovely blue. At that point our grandchildren entered the room dressed as our wedding party had been dressed fifty years ago. Our daughter had made the dresses to match those dresses worn at our wedding. Of course I cried as these beloved grandchildren of ours entered the room.


After the grandchildren entered, Gary went on to say that I always said I wanted a brass band to play, “When the Saints Go Marching In” at my funeral. The kids decided that if they were going to hire a brass band they would prefer to have me there to enjoy it. So they had hired a band to play for us. The band played and I cried. The band continued to play as we visited and laughed with friends and family. What an amazing, wonderful party!

We had a photographer for the big event whose pictures we have not yet seen, but I'll share a few now. Rest assured there will be more.

We concluded the day with a cookout at Laurel and Gary's house. It was good to have time to sit and visit with everyone and reflect on the day.

Just to make the week end complete all my children and grandchildren joined us for church on Sunday morning. It felt so good to worship surrounded by the people I love most in the whole world.

It was all perfect. We felt very loved and very honored.

50 Years Ago Today

25th

My in-laws twenty-fifth wedding anniversary came the same week as my graduation from nursing school and our wedding day. They had decided that there was no time to celebrate their big anniversary. We knew they had wanted a party, but there just was no opportunity. They hosted our rehearsal dinner. They had prepared and served a lovely dinner and were preparing to serve the pie they had fixed for dessert when people just sort of disappeared. They were a bit confused and irritated when they were summoned to the patio. The kids had ordered a small wedding cake in honor of their special day. My betrothed and I marched in bearing gifts of silver wearing the clothes they had worn on their wedding day. They were delighted that we had found a way to honor them.


Twenty five years later our children and friends surprised us with a silver anniversary party. We felt loved and special and we understood how our parents had felt when we surprised them.


It is twenty five years later. This weekend our children are planning a party to celebrate our fiftieth anniversary. We are very excited to see what wonders they have have in mind for us.

Fifty years ago this week I graduated from Pasadena City College's School of Nursing. Dressed in my starched white uniform, perfectly set cap, and a wool red and blue cape I marched into the Rose Bowl with my class of forty nursing students and a thousand cap and gowned regular college students. It was a hot day and that wool cape was uncomfortably warm, but I did look so professional and I felt so proud.

I chose wisely when I became a nurse. The career suited me. I delivered babies and cared for tiny preemies. I gave shots, started IVs, emptied bedpans, changed dressings, bathed and comforted the sick. I held both patients and their families while they cried. I cheered when they recovered. I learned so much about life and people. I have so many wonderful stories and memories. I loved being a nurse. Now I enjoy knowing that my RN stands for retired nurse.

On that day fifty years ago my parents were proud and happy, just as parents everywhere have always been on graduation day.

Sofie Graduates

Yesterday was Sofie's high school graduation. This was a different child and a different graduation, but still overflowing with love and emotion.

Sofie's class had seven hundred graduates. The audience filled up the big Comcast Center at the University of Maryland. Because she is a member of the National Honor Society she sat in the middle of the very front row and was among the first to graduate. We are all so very proud of her. It is hard to believe she is grown and leaving for college in the fall. The years have flown by too quickly.

You would think that after watching our five kids and now five of our grandchildren graduate we would have learned to less emotional about these events. It hasn't happened yet. I still cry every time Pomp and Circumstance is played.

All her happy parents and siblings


With her brother and sister


Proud grandparents

DQ Graduates

Today we celebrated my son's birthday by attending his son's high school graduation.

Today's ceremony was much like all other high school graduations. Pomp and circumstance played as the graduates marched in. Proud and happy families filled the room. There were the routine commencement speeches. In other ways this was a most unusual graduation. DQ graduated from RICA, a special school for kids who have had trouble dealing with life. There were only fourteen kids in the graduating class, each with a special story. Today's joy was a very great achievement for them and for the many people who have helped them to get to today. I cried as he walked across that stage today. Along with his diploma he revived several awards and scholarships.

Here he is with his mom and dad.

And with his happy grandparents.

Memorial Day

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.



We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

Prom

Friday was prom night here in our town. There were long lines of boys standing in line at the floral department of the grocery store. Some were already in prom finery, others were still in jeans and tee shirts. They were all trying to act very cool as they picked up corsages for the evening. I am just a little old lady who thought they all looked adorably cute.

Of course I knew it was prom night. My seventeen year old granddaughter, our prom queen, has been planning on this event since she entered high school. Prom is a really big deal. Several couples were invited to the granddaughter's house for a pre-prom paparazzi party. There were fancy snacks and many parents with cameras. The girls were all so beautiful in their lovely gowns, the boys so handsome in their tuxes. I think they actually enjoyed posing for the pictures. I loved seeing these beautiful young people. They were so full of joy and excitement.

After the pictures were all finally taken they piled into a limo and were off to the prom.

The parents all settled into the kitchen to relax and eat when the phone rang. The big limo had broken down half way to the prom. They were stuck beside the road. There was a flurry of discussion about what to do. The parents of one of the boys had a big van that would hold all the kids. They drove it to the stranded prom goers and they all made it the big dance. They had a wonderful time with a more interesting story than they had expected.

Notes From the Other Side

My friend Carol died yesterday. This poem, written by Jane Kenyon, is for Carol as she discovers life on the other side.

Notes from the Other Side

 
I divested myself of despair
and fear when I came here.

Now there is no more catching
one's own eye in the mirror,

there are no bad books, no plastic,
no insurance premiums, and of course

no illness. Contrition
does not exist, nor gnashing

of teeth. No one howls as the first
clod of earth hits the casket.

The poor we no longer have with us.
Our calm hearts strike only the hour,

and God, as promised, proves
to be mercy clothed in light.

Three Score and Ten

“The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years.” Psalm90:10

It is amazing how fast seventy years can fly by. I am now officially old.
I can quit worrying about dying young.

Compassion

Yesterday our class at church was discussing compassion and how to teach kindness to children. Of course it takes many lessons for us to become compassionate people, but this example from my childhood is one of my favorite memories.



My mom truly enjoyed doing good deeds for others. Frequently I tagged along on one of her many good works. One day when I was about seven years old I went with mom to visit the patients at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital, a large rehabilitation facility. I didn't like the big wards full of sick people. The ward that scared me most was the one that was full of patients in iron lungs. I couldn’t imagine how anyone could live in one of those big, scary tubes. Mom had given me a Hershey’s chocolate bar as a reward for behaving while she went to see people. I was carrying my candy bar as we walked down the long porch of the hospital. Patients in rocking chairs lined the porch. One of them saw my candy bat and said he sure did love Hershey's Bars. He sure wished he could have some chocolate. My generous mom gave me “the look,” and I knew what I had to do. I gave the old man my candy and walked on with a dejected face. I really had not wanted to give it away. When mom was finished with her visit we walked back out along the porch full of patients. A little lady tapped me on the shoulder. She said she had seen me give away my candy and wanted to thank me for my generosity. To reward my generous act she gave me a whole, unopened Whitman's Sampler. A big box of chocolates just for one candy bar. I looked at it in awe. Being the good church kid that I was I looked at my mom and said, “I have cast my bread upon the waters and it has returned unto me.”

Mother's Day

My daddy would always try to sneak the white boxes from the florist into the house. Mom and I would look at each other and grin. Tomorrow was Mother's Day and we knew what was in those boxes. We pretended not to see what he had and wait for him to go upstairs. As soon as he left we ran to look in the refrigerator to admire our corsages. Mom's was always white because her mom had already gone to heaven. Mine was always red because my mom was alive and well. My dad adored my mom, and I always knew I was special because I was his little girl.

Yesterday I enjoyed a lovely day with my family. My sweet husband does not carry on the tradition of the corsages, but he always buys me a beautiful, sweet card. Most of the family gathered for a backyard cookout. The guys cooked while the women sat on the front porch and sipped mimosas. I have been well blessed to have a father who thought I was a princess and a husband who treats me like queen.

Painting

I am discovering muscles today that I haven't noticed in a long time. I spent most of the week end helping my granddaughter paint and clean her new condo. To say she is excited about becoming a homeowner would be a great understatement. She is so thrilled with her first place. I loved being able to help her and to listen to her happy chatter all week end. Today though I am feeling my age. I am achy and tired and grateful that she has to work today so I can rest from a far busier than normal few days. I used to be able to paint, clean and take care of four small children without even thinking about being tired. No more.


I remember the first time I painted our kitchen. It was a beautiful spring day which the meant the kids could play outside. I opened the paint and began applying the paint to the walls. Of course the kids came in and wanted to help. I gave them all brushes and set them to painting with me. Their enthusiasm for home improvement didn't last very long and soon they were off to playing again, running in and out of the house with a gang of neighbor kids. I painted, fixed lunch, settled an assortment of minor squabbles, and had an assortment of neighbor kids as short term assistants. I climbed the ladder, moved the furniture, and finished in time to fix dinner. When my husband returned home from work he admired the paint and asked what was for dinner. It was just another day in the life then. Now it makes me tired to even think about so much activity.

God was very wise to give us children when we were young.