THE WOODEN BOWL

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, A year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and
four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. Buy the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult.. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.

When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. 'We must do something about father,' said the son. 'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.
He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the
boy responded, 'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. '

The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks.. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, Neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note,

I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: A rainy day,the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a
'life.'

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands.You need to be able to throw something back sometimes.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I
usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.
People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a
friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

     This was an e-mail that I received today and I so enjoyed it that I wanted to add it to my blog. I am getting to a point in my life where I have to have a few things done for me that I can't do any more. Can't bend over and pick up things out of the floor. Hold on to the doors and walls when I walk through the house. My hearing is going and I have had eye surgery on my right eye and in the near future, will have it done on the left eye. In the mean time I take care about what I do and don't go outside without my cane. I have fallen to many times to go without it.
      The golden rule that I learned a long time ago"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This was on a banner in my school room just about everyday of my life. The bible say to honor thy father and thy mother that their days may be long on the land. Many people in this day and age forget who took care of them when they were growing up. Even animals take care of their young until they are able to fend for themselves.
     Don't forget the elderly. An old saying but it is so true. "There but for the grace of GOD go I." My former husband has always been an independent person and took care of himself. In the last couple of months, he health has deteriorated and he can't even walk. No one knows what the future holds for us. We may be in the same shoes as the man with the wooden bowl. My dad and step-mom were well taken care until the day they died. No one grumbled or complained about the spills they made or changing the bed linens. You say well that is embarrassing, but GOD provided the means for us to be able to fetch and carry for them until the end. There are no regrets. We miss them and would love to talk to them again but I know they are together again and watching over us and waiting for us to arrive and introduce us to the rest of the family that has gone on before us.

NOAH'S FLOOD

I woke up this morning to rain. Thank you Lord.

I wonder what it was like when the Lord told Noah that it was going to rain. It had never rained before. Just a mist watered everything on earth. I couldn't even calculate how many days before this rain. Everyone laughed at him about making a boat big enough to hold all the animals. I am sure before this time they had used small boats for fishing. But these were timy compared to the ark. And trying to catch all the animals couldn't have been easy. The Lord had a hand in this endeavor. I don't think Noah would have known where to find most of them. How would you go about it? From the jungles of Africa to the seas of the Atlantic and Pacific. You say, "why the ocean?" Some of these animals had to have land at some point in time. Polar bears and penquins need the land as well as the sea. When GOD spoke to the the animals, they all went to the ark They knew that they would be taken care of by the Lord.
But the point is that Noah did as GOD commanded him reguardless of what the people thought about him. How many time do we do as GOD commands, or do we even listen to Him. Do we pretend that we didn't hear or ignor all the signs as imagination. Sometimes it pay to heed the words of the Lord. It could save our lives.

Exerpt from "The Woman at the Well"

 I have just finished reading "The Woman at the Well" by Dale Evans. I read quite often and her book "Angel Unaware" was probably my favorite as it was about her daughter, Robin, who died. Most all her children were adopted yet Roy and Dale showed no difference in them. Even though they were from a famous family, they were raised in a Christian home.

The following is an excerpt from "The Woman at the Well"

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I was at my typewriter wondering what to do next, when all of a sudden my fingers started running over the keys. Please bear with me and my mistakes, because it has been so long. I am also getting senile! My grandchildren seem to think so, though I don't believe it for an instant. Rather with the end so near, I see things in a different perspective, I still see a future, and not a materialistic one-but a future that I will not have to struggle through, as I have in the past. I am quick to point out peoples' faults, but this is only because they take life as if it were going to last forever. There are times when my memory fails me, but I can still remember so much more! My eyesight is nearly gone, but I see more things now than I've ever seen before, and though I can't hear well I have heard what I should have heard-and when I could have done something about it. My fingers are not as nimble now, and only through other hands can my thoughts be conveyed. Yes, I am what you call old and aged, but soon I will once again be romping around. I may look like a dried-up old prune, and these wrinkles may tell a story, but I am so beautiful. It is too bad you do not understand, you feel sorry for me when I hobble across the street, or when your young men bump into me and spill my packages, You have even laughed at me in my good dress with that crooked little hat, but I feel no sorrow. If only you could have what I have! This young girl beside me knows nothing of what she will be or even what she wants to be when age permits her. Oh yes, she may outrun me, but unless she awakens, as so many others ought to, she will never outlive me, nor out go me. I have more energy to see the truth and have it revealed to me forever, but my body is decaying, as it must. All I have said is nothing, and yet it is everything. Look at me. You see an old woman. Look again, you see a young heart. A young soul! I have known sorrow, but comfort has always followed. NO, I really have not much to say; how I do ramble on about nothing! I am growing weaker with each word that pours from my mouth, and soon I will be gone. But I will keep watch and know that I must not interfere. I will be rooting for the blind to see!

WHEN TOMORROW STARTS WITHOUT ME

I found this poem in a newspaper a few months ago and thought I would write it on my blog for everyone to see. It pertains to alot of people that we have lost and I can relate to it. I don't know the author so if anyone knows, please let me know.

"WHEN TOMORROW STARTS WITHOUT ME"

When that tomorrow started without me-and I wasn't there to see-
and when the sun rose and found your eyes all filled with tears for me.
I wished so much you wouldn't have cried, the way ya'll did that day,
while thinking of the many things-we didn't get a chance to say.

I knew how much ya'll loved me just as much as I loved you,
and each time that you thought of me, I knew you would miss me too.
But when those tomorrows start without me-please try to understand
that an angel came and called my name and took me by the hand,
and told me my place was ready, in Heaven far above
and that I'd have to leave behind all those I dearly loved.

But as I turned to walk away, a tear fell from my eye,
for all my life, I'd always thought I didn't want to die.
I had so much to live for, so much left yet to do-
It seemed almost impossible that I was leaving all of you.

I thought of all the yesterdays-the good ones and the bad.
I thought of all the love we shared and all the fun we had.
If I could relive yesterday just even for a while
I'd say good bye and kiss you all 'cause I wanted to see you smile.

But then I fully realized, that this could never be
for all our love and memories would have to take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things that I would miss tomorrow,
I thought of you and when I did, my heart just filled with sorrow.

But when I walked thru Heaven's gate, I felt so much at home,
then GOD looked down and smiled at me-from His beautiful golden throne.
He said, "This is eternity, and all I have promised you-
today your life on earth is past, and here life starts anew.

I promise you no tomorrows because a day here will always last
and since each day's the same, there's no longing for the past.
You have been so faithful, so trusting and so true
though there were times you did some things you knew you shouldn't do.

But you have been forgiven and now at last you're free.
So wont you come and take my hand and share my life with me."
So when those tomorrows start without me-don't think we're so far apart-
all of you remember when you think of me, I'm right there in your heart

Southern and proud of it.

Received an e-mail just the other day asking me if I was a genuine Georgia Peach. Well I recon I am one as I was born and raised in Georgia in a little town of Rome. We rolled up the streets at 6:00 pm and visited our neighbors, made home made ice cream, and watched TV until 11:00 pm and went to bed. I received this message just today and it best describes us Southerners.

Southerners know their summer weather report:

Humidity

Humidity

_____

Southerners know their vacation spots:

The beach

The rivuh

The crick

_____

Southerners know everybody's first name:

Honey

Darlin'

Shugah

_____

Southerners know the movies that speak to their hearts:

Fried Green Tomatoes

Driving Miss Daisy

Steel Magnolias

Gone With The Wind

_____

Southerners know their religions:

Bapdiss

Methdiss

Football

_____

Southerners know their cities dripping with Southern charm:

Chawl'stn

S'vanah

Foat Wuth

N'awlins

Addlanna

_____

Southerners know their elegant gentlemen:

Men in uniform

Men in tuxedos

Rhett Butler

_____

Southern girls know their prime real estate:

The Mall

The Country Club

The Beauty Salon

_____

Southern girls know the 3 deadly sins:

Having bad hair and nails

Having bad manners

Cooking bad food

_____

Only a Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption fit, and that you don't "HAVE" them,

you "PITCH" them.

_____

Only a Southerner knows how many fish, collard greens, turnip greens, peas, beans, etc., make up "a mess."

_____

Only a Southerner can show or point out to you the general direction of "yonder."

_____

Only a Southerner knows exactly how long "directly" is, as in: "Going to town, be back directly." (

Correction: directly wasn't in our vocabulary. The correct word is "dreckly!")

_____

Even Southern babies know that "Gimme some sugar" is not a request for the white, granular, sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl in the middle of the table.

_____

All Southerners know exactly when "by and by" is. They might not use the term, but they know the concept well

_____

Only a Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. If the neighbor's trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin'!

_____

Only Southerners grow up knowing the difference between "right near" and "a right far piece." They also know that"just down the road" can be 1 mile or 20.

_____

Only a Southerner both knows and understands the difference between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash.

_____

No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn signal is actually going to make a turn.

_____

A Southerner knows that "fixin" can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb.

_____

Only Southerners make friends while standing in lines, ... and when we're "in line,"... we talk to everybody!

_____

Put 100 Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they're related, even if only by marriage.

_____

In the South, "y'all" is singular, "all y'all" is plural.

_____

Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.

_____

Every Southerner knows that tomatoes with eggs, bacon, grits, and coffee are perfectly wonderful; that red eye gravy is also a breakfast food; that scrambled eggs just ain’t right without Tabasco, and that fried green tomatoes are not a breakfast food.

_____

When you hear someone say, "Well, I caught myself lookin'," you know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner!

_____

Only true Southerners say "sweet tea" and "sweet milk." Sweet tea indicates the need for sugar and lots of it -- we do not like our tea unsweetened. "Sweet milk" means you don't want buttermilk.

_____

And a true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say,"Bless her sweet little heart"... and go your own way.

_____

To those of you who are still a little embarrassed by your Southernness: Take two tent revivals and a dose of sausage gravy and call me in the morning. Bless your little heart!

_____

And to those of you who are still having a hard time understanding all this Southern stuff....bless your hearts, I hear they’re fixin' to have classes on Southernness as a second language!

_____

Southern girls know men may come and go, but friends are fah-evah !

There ain't no magazine named "Northern Living" for good reason. There ain't nobody interested in livin' up north, nobody would buy the magazine!

Now Shugah If you're a Northern transplant, bless your little heart, fake it. We know you got here as fast as you could.

 

Humidity