I said in an earlier blog that I would share the link..

Here is the link for the article I wrote for Associated Content. Hope you enjoy.

View From a Wheelchair

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5419366/view_from_a_wheelchair.html?cat=5

Seasons and Things

Well it's finally come. My hubby and I are both retired. Now what? This is so strange. We have worked hard all our lives and here we are just the two of us passing each other in the hallway like two ships in the night. Rather quiet and ghostly around here..clock ticking...feeling the age with bones stiff and creaky. Because our income is at a place where it needs to stay in order to have medical benefits we can afford we don't have the option of part time work. We couldn't physically work enough to make medical needs on our own so we are kind of stuck. There were days..sometimes many one after another when I cried out "Oh, Lord, How long must this be?" when I was working so hard. Now I pray to know what direction we should go in now.
I heard Joni Ereckson speaking over radio the other day. She said when she goes home to Maryland where she grew up it doesn't feel like home anymore. She has lived in California for 30 years and since she didn't grow up there it doesn't feel like home either. I know just that feeling. My heart stays in WV but it's not really home anymore. We have lived in the deep south for almost 6 years and although we like it here it's just not home either. Now when you add to this the new season of retirement you have a couple of people who are wondering what do we do now? It really is the strangest feeling...not home..not working...and time just ticking away.
I know the Lord will unfold his plan but right now it is a very strange season. It's a time for much prayer...a time to get used to our lives together again. After spending the better part of these years here being apart a lot and then being so tired when together it is quite different now spending the long hours of the day and evening with each other.
Seems like our big event of the day right now is getting the morning paper! lol. Really we are blessed with family and grandchildren here and we visit very often. It's just finding what to do in the in between hours that is challenging. We have a couple of projects in mind for doing a little remodeling. I have hopes and dreams of visiting our daughter in Mass. My dream, having a nice sewing room, may happen before long. Don't know...that's the part that is hard...don't know.
I often use the words of Jesus when he said "this too shall pass"..I'm sure he is not going to leave us rattling around the house for long and then we may once again long for 'retirement' ..lol
Perhaps this is just a resting time that's been needed for a long time, then we'll get busy again with new things he has for us.
Seasons come and go and each one has it's own beauty. He makes all things beautiful in his time.

2011 Already

Wow! Here we are already in the year of our Lord 2011! I remember as a child thinking that our world would never make it to the year 2000. That idea seemed only to be in the minds of writers of science fiction. At only 60 years old I can look back over just my life time and see how technology is racing faster and faster. What a thrill it was when I was maybe 11 or 12 years old to get my first transistor radio that only played AM stations! When I got an A in school for typing I was so proud but can you believe that work was done on and old Remington? Can you remember the old cash registrars..no bar codes back then and no laser lights to read them. I do miss the items with the price stickers right on them! I loved eight tract tapes because you could play them over and over without having to move from your chair. My grand daughter received an MP3 player for Christmas and I wouldn't have a clue how to use it! Here I set at a computer that can let me communicate around the world in a matter of seconds..amazing! Wouldn't my mom have loved the convenience of the microwave and home freezer or automatic washer and dryer to help keep our home? I can imagine she would have liked watching satellite or cable TV. We had maybe 3 channels on TV when I was growing up and the reception was really bad. It was no fun going out in the winter to "turn the antenna". We watched real stories with heroes that didn't have to cuss, slash or go naked to keep your interest . How about the cell phone rather than 2 or 3 party lines to deal with. Of course our phone number was much shorter...ours was 2192..that's it! Oh, and no "Operator, I'd like to make a person to person call" either back then. We played house, marbles and tag. We ran and played, knew our neighbors and attended church each week. Prayer was said at school and most other events and there was no protest. We were proud to be Americans. The doors weren't locked at night and by the way we had no air conditioners in the summer so windows were open with only screens to protect from bugs..not robbers. The church windows were open in the summer heat too and our "air" was little fans you operated with your own two hands! Life has certainly changed..some for the good and seems a lot for the bad. The more technology advances I think it makes the world a smaller place with little privacy left. Our children face an uncertain future with the family foundations being torn down, morals on a huge decline, freedom being threatened and leaders passing laws all the time to try to make this a Godless nation. Yep, it's 2011 already. I'm looking forward to Jesus coming soon. I'm praying Christian people will wake out of their slumber and change some things in our country. I'm praying I'll hold true to end. One thing for certain that gives me great peace is that fact that no matter how much things have changed, in my short 60 years, Jesus said He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Now that's great peace for the new year!

Writers Block

After publishing three articles for Associated Content I went blank! That is until last night. I prayed and asked the Lord for an idea and the answer came in the middle of the night last night. This evening I submitted 'View from a Wheelchair.' It came to me that it would be good to try to express how a person in a wheelchair lives from day to day and some of the struggles they go thru. If they accept the article I will share the link.

Cabin Fever in the Heat

We are experiencing cabin fever in the south. The heat has been unreal the last couple of days so we just stay inside to keep cool. Talked out, nothing on tv, eating too much...just like in a snow storm up north. Wondering as much about cooling bills here as we did heat bills in WV. At least in a good snow you could go out and sled a little or throw snowballs. Going out in this heat just to walk the dog is like walking into a steam bath and it's just not fun. I do like the early morning along about 6:30 when hubby and I set on the swing and have our coffee. He has several bird feeders around the porch and yard. I notice even the birds seem to be out early to beat the heat. We recently started seeing mourning doves coming and they are my favorite...I love to hear them coo. It did cool down this evening but it's almost dark and the little mosquitoes are lurking out there so I think I'll just stay inside. This too shall pass and it will cool down again. I'm glad the Lord made seasons and that he says long as the earth remains that seasons will too. He is so orderly and setting out early in the morning watching his morning creations getting started on their day reminds me of his care for me. A sparrow doesn't fall without his noticing and the very hairs on my head are numbered. What an awesome God! Jesus has gone to prepare a place for his children and I'm sure it is perfect with no worry of cabin fever! How beautiful heaven must be!

My Daddy - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

My Daddy - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

It's a Small World

I was looking for canning recipes for squash this evening . Looks like we may be having an over abundance of the little veggies and I'm looking ahead for preserving. Lo, and behold I ran upon a blog that has a recipe that looks wonderful for squash casserole but even better than that was the profile of the persons blog. Now get this, we left WV and moved to the south in August 2005 and this lady left the city of Atlanta to move to WV in August 2005! I actually got tears in my eyes thinking of the people (our family and hers) that were maybe like ships passing in the night! The picture on her profile page is of New River Gorge and we have traveled many times over that ol' bridge and I'm longing to do it at least one more time! Just thought it was pretty neat to come across another family who ventured far from home to start a new life. Love the blog..check it out. She looks to be living my dream in WV and I couldn't believe anyone would think my life a dream in Louisiana but we do ok and we are well blessed. Still, when I see those hills something pulls deep down on my heart strings and it sounds like it always plays the same tune...Home.