Thursday Thoughts

I spotted my first lovely white magnolia today and OH I cannot tell you how much I love those beauties!! They hang so delicately on the end of those branches!! I once had a TALL person jump up and get me one of those grand huge flowers!! Oh, the smell!! I was so thrilled to have one of those lovely delicate flowers in my possession. People told me ..."Now they will not live once you get it home!!" Oh, who cares I have one and I can just gaze at it..
You know that lovely lasted a couple of days for me..long enough for me to be equally thrilled at its beauty.

How can people not believe in a higher power while looking at this lovely specimen? How?? I have not idea!!

Today I bought three plants...I simply LOVE Flowers in you have not got that by now!! I bought a red mandevilla; a digitalis (purple) and what I went for...a knock out rose!! They grow all over the place here and I just love them. They remind me of the old roses that we used to find all of the time along the road and ditches when I was young!! We called them wild roses then!! They even have a fragrance!! WOW!! They are blooming all over the city here!! We were at Krogers the other day and after coming out I told Mike.."I just have to have some of those"...So I sort of took 3 of them...OOOPS!! They are so pretty. I brought them home and that has been a week and they are just now starting to die!! Now i will have my own bush!! Hopefully it will live here!!

Today is another day at Curves!! Thursdays are usually pretty slow!! I was so happy to make it to church last night. If you have time stop over at savannahchristian.com and go to Sermons Online and find Jeff Walling...he is just absolutely excellent. His style of teaching is visual and along with that FUNNY!! I just knew I had to get there last night..Curves does not close till 7:00 and church starts at 6:45...I hurried out of here. Walked into church (after hunting and hunting for a parking space) and just as I sat down Jeff got right up there...My timing was excellent!!

I think I told you the other day that Mike and I were riding along and saw a big pretty peacock!! That was something to see..This past week Mike was out back and said come see a snake!! Oh yes, just WHAT I WANT TO SEE!! He called it a brown snake but to me it was just a snake and should be GONE!! It has just eaten something so had a big bump in its spine...or what ever you call its back!! I do not want to get at all familiar with any kind of snake.

Oh since I last wrote we have made a decision to go up to Illinois and pick up my parents for a couple of months. My mother really really needs to get out of that apartment. This way maybe we can go places and show at least her things. We live in a beautiful city with so much to see. Sometimes I forget that we live in a city where people come to have a vacation!! Smile!! We are leaving next week in our motor home to pick them up. We will make a fast trip and come right back as quickly as we can. I am so hoping this will work out well for everyone!!

Hope the world is treating you good!! So far things are fine here!! Summer is here!! It is HOT!!

FLIP FLOP

Monday Memories

Monday Monday...the beginning of the work week and the beginning of good things...I hope!! I never have understood why Monday gets a bad wrap..but that has been its history!! Too bad for Monday!!



I am off to work at Curves this afternoon from 3-7 and also tomorrow and Wednesday. I have missed this...especially when I am busy!! I love being busy so let's hope this afternoon is full to overflowing with ladies!!



Last week when I was at Curves another lady and I got to talking (imagine that)!! She and I are close to the same age so we started doing some reminisencing about when we were young and the fun things that we did.

We both grew up on farms and remember the milking; the kitties licking their lips when the milk was squirted on them; sheep; cows; those rotten hand pecking hens; the outhouse; the pigs and so much more. We talked about so much and it made her time on the circuit go really quick!!

We also talked that kids today will never know the fun of those things above unless somehow they do live on farms which are few and far between any more..too bad we both thought!! Kids will never remember going to town and the stores were in separate buildings..NOT a Mall!! They will never remember taking the eggs to town to get money for them. I am so glad that I grew up in that period!! I think that I am who I am for that past experience. How about you? How did you grow up?

I think of the times that Ron and I did not even have a swing set but we made something work. Dad would make us a swing in the tree..which to this day i still adore!! Get me near one and away I go!! We would take things like the clothes line poles and make things to do..like tight rope walking!! Just fun stuff!! I think that we had to use our imaginations a lot more than kids do today.

I want my grands to know that these were fun days. I just recently did something that just occurred to me to do. I bought cards for each of our 7 grands and wrote notes to each of them...Someone told me if you do that they will think that you have a serious disease and are going to die..Oh well..Maybe so but I just wrote to each one of them..The oldest 4 first and then the youngest 3 next. I knew the young ones would say..there is nothing in here..NO MONEY!! Too bad..just a note from your old grandmother. I wrote that it was a "JUST BECAUSE" card...Just because i wanted to tell them how special they are to me and that I love them.

How often do we really tell people that we Love Them? Hm!! Think about it!! I am going out of my way now to remember that..I need to use those words more. At church lately we have been in a family series and Cam has been preaching on using the words..I love you and Forgive me. He says those are the hardest words for us to use...so I am going to learn how and when to use these from now on.

Enough of my jabbering now...I need to get ready for my afternoon job!! Every little bit helps you know.

Take care and i will try to get out and visit..

FLIP FLOP

Sitting here at my computer listening to my outside world..What great sounds!! I can hear a very happy Cardinal not too far way that is the happiest little guy around right now...I hear a plane going over but quietly...I also hear a dove in the very farthest away sounds making that wonderful soothing noise that I just love!! It always reminds me of being little and staying at my grandmother's home...I am just thinking now while sitting here just listening..how much do we sit and just listen...just to listen...Probably not enough!!

I saw a movie last night that I wanted to just tell you about. "Seven Pounds" with Will Smith is a very different movie. You really have to stick with it. It is one of those movies where you have to figure out just what is going on. Mikey got a little upset after about 45 minutes and left thinking that the Bulls would be a better thing to spend his time on....smile!!

This movie is strange but you know it is very good once you get it figured out...Will's character was in a car accident with his wife...He was texting (bad idea while driving) and caused a really bad accident that killed his wife and 6 other people...He of course survived!! He then looks for 7 people that he can help in some way..just like the old saying about a pound of flesh...He finds 7 people that he can help...That is where I will let you watch the rest of the movie. I thought it was good but some of you might not think so. Just takes figuring out and listening very closely..if you do rent it, give it a chance..okay and then come and let me know what you think.

I am just now back from Curves AGAIN!! I tell you I hate to exercise but I have too..that is just it...The club was full today and that always makes it more fun and the time goes by quicker. I need a shower but i also need to run the sweeper too...It is really HOT here today and living upstairs like we do..well it makes it even hotter.

My bible study was awesome yesterday but I am still in the fog about Daniel's 70 weeks. I think most of this God does not want us to really know..He wants it to stay a mystery for sure. If HE wanted us to know I believe it would have been written a little bit easier for our crazy minds to understand..Mine certainly is working on it now...I think that is all that He wants from us...

Have a wonderful Friday..I am off to see my sweeper now and probably sweat some more..Fun!!

FLIP FLOP

WHAT A FAMILY!!

Brie, 19; Emily 17; Katie 15 and Ricky 9

Long time NO WRITE HERE!! OOPS!! Well I have thought about it..does that make it okay? We have had so much going on in our family that I just forget...Anyhoo...Here I am now!!

We have the best praise here in our family this week for those of you that i did not get around to letting know...My SIL Judy got her pathology report back Tuesday.She is clear of CANCER!! YES!! We are all so relieved not to mention how relieved Judy is!! She called me and talked for about 30 minutes..She said that she has not cried during this whole ordeal until the report came back and then she cried...Happy TEARS and out of sheer relief!! Now she has some things ahead of her but no radiation or chemo therapy. She is going to have to take that chemo pill but that will be nothing compared to what she might have had to go through. We are all so happy here in our family this week....

Our youngest grandson, Garrett lost both of us two upper teeth so he is lookin' pretty cute right now. I don't think they will be out long because you can already see the new ones coming in. He is such a cutie. One day he is going to be a heart breaker for sure!!

I also have some other good pictures of grandkids to share with you...I am a proud grandmother...so here goes:

This is our oldest grand, Brie, she is going to be 20 in May!!

Madison age 10 in her first ball game Tuesday night!!

This is Jenna, Madison and Garrett's half sister holding her
baby boy Gage. She lives in Maine so we
never get to see her!!

Well now you have been bored with the Flip Flop's Grands...that is the way it goes when you stop by here. Family is the most important thing in my life...These kids are who we will be leaving behind once God wants us to go home with HIM!! What a legacy!! We have wonderful grands with so many different talents and abilities that God has given to each and every one of them..from 20-8...what a family!!

FLIP FLOP
Thought for the day: "Having a place to go is a HOME; Having someone to love is a FAMILY!!"

Life is rather smooth here for us lately and that is EXACTLY the way i want it to be!! We are still praying for my sis in law, Judy as she is waiting for the results from her biopsy. She had surgery this past Thursday. They opted to keep her an extra day!! DUH!! I am so upset how quickly the hospitals let people go home anymore..Craziness!! This doctor, though, kept Judy an extra day!! Thank goodness. She went to the doctor yesterday but we have not heard anything about that yet. Just keep praying for these results when they finally come back.

Seems awful, too, that in these electronic ages that we are living in, that we have to wait for 5 days for a biopsy to come back. I know I watch too many crime TV programs but honestly...I really wonder why it takes so much time!! The person and family that are waiting just have the longest wait ever!! We are close now so maybe today or tomorrow we will all know for sure.



Just finishing up my coffee this morning and wishing that my knee would stop aching!! It has been almost 4 weeks now and the ache is still with me. I exercise 3 times a week and try hard to do what I am supposed to do with it. I guess it is just going to take time. I am glad that I did it though.



We have had some beautiful weather but also some bad rain storms come through. We always need the rain here. The grass is a pretty green and that is not usually the real color for here where we get so much sun!! Nice to see it so pretty!! The flowers are really waking up and have been for some time. My Easter liles are about to bloom..kind of late but who cares..they are still pretty. My gardenias are about to pop too!! Beautiful fragrance!!



I am so thankful once again to all of you that have left comments on my blog or sent me email with kind prayers for my sil. You will never know how much that has meant to me..never!! The outpouring of prayers has been felt and was so needed and still is..Thanks guys Tons!!



Mike is working today and the rest of the week..AMEN!! He was home yesterday. This is nice when he still has work but can be at home too. Kind of like the best of both worlds in a way!!



While getting groceries yesterday, i saw this little girl in the aisle. I knew it was Maddie. She had her back turned so I went up very quietly and put my hands over her eyes. She was very calm..I did not scare her. When she found out it was me she turned around and gave me the biggest hug and kiss. Wow..grandchildren..THE BEST!!



Off to work on my bible study now. Still in Daniel 9 this week. What a book!!

Hope everyone is well and doing great in your part of our wonderful world!!

FLIP FLOP
Bumper sticker from yesterday: "God is coming back, and Boy is he angry!"

Update on Judy

I am so relieved and so very very happy right now!! Our prayers have been answered!! My SIL Judy has come in with flying colors!! My brother Ron told me that the doctors said that she is a trooper!! The surgery was over 6 hours and maybe longer. I am not sure at this time. They were also going to begin doing the re-construction of her breasts during surgery also. She is going to be one sore lady!!

Do you know that they will only keep her for 1 DAY!! My!! i think that is something else. She will go home with drains and her arms strapped to her sides...We all still need to pray for her. She has so much ahead of her now!! So much!!

The biopsy that they took during the operation will come back in 5 days. That will determine the stage of the cancer...Please continue to pray for her.

I cannot thank everyone enough..There are not enough words to express my gratitude or my love for everyone..You are the best..

LOVE
FLIP FLOP

Just Wednesday

Blogging has not been my biggest suite lately and I think it is because we have so much stress going on in our family. That makes it hard for me to write a good blog. i don't like downers for blog entries but then again that is LIFE!! It cannot always be mountain tops. We have to have those valleys that we travel through so we will be once again thrilled when he reach that mountain top. This is just our daily climb and once again..that is LIFE!!

Tomorrow at noon Arizona time my SIL, Judy is having her double removal of her breasts due to that nasty thing called breast Cancer!! Our family has been and is still asking for whatever prayers you can hold up for her for tomorrow.

I am praying that she will be peaceful knowing that God is holding her through this very bad time. I am praying that they get every little teeny tiny bit of that nasty stuff and that none of it has spread.

She has all women doctors and for some reason that sounds very logical and positive for her. We women understand how traumatic this is going to be for her. She will have the plastic surgeon in there at the same time. She will be starting re-construction at the same time. We still do not know the stage of this cancer so that will be found out tomorrow during the surgery.

Please if you can just life Judy up to our Heavenly Father. He knows the outcome already...Psalm 139:4 says, "Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord." But we still need to pray so that we can have fellowship with HIM. He is our father you know.



Mike is working a little now and again!! The fax machine (that is where the jobs come to us) has been working more than usual lately...so that is amazing and what we need to hear.

I am feeling okay. One of the stitches is really sore and gives me trouble but I am just praying that it heals and i will forget all about it and soon. I am back to Curves now 3 times a week exercising and also working part time too. I am back to picking up the kids after school whenever that is needed too..So life as much as it can be is in the NORMAL phase for us anyway!!

Never take things for granted..Normal is a good thing!! My hubby is pulling in the drive..the best sound of the whole day...

FLIP FLOP

Easter 2009

This is Ron and i at Easter one year

Today is Easter...the day that our Lord Savior rose from the dead!! What a joyous day to remember what HE did for us all those years ago on the cross...It is so hard for my small mind to even imagine being hung on a cross...and to do it for mankind!! WOW!!

Today is not like the Easters that we used to have and frankly I find myself missing that. When we were young we went to church on Sunday morning in our best clothes. Ron and my grandmother would buy us new clothes and we always looked so nice. She would take pictures of us outside. I would usually pose by flowers...I still love flowers..This world would be a very dull and color less place with out them...BUT I digress...

Here I am posing in front of flowers. I know the picture is not very clear....Oh well probably for the best. Looks how dressed up I was!! Sometimes we looked for Easter Eggs but I really do not remember doing that much as a child. We always did it with our kids and grandkids though.

After church we would go to our grandmother's for dinner...I loved those times and now i miss them. Now it seems in our world that it is not celebrated like it once was. I just miss those times. Funny how back then i did not know what fun was being had...it is always that way though, don't ya think?

This morning i was sitting here in our house and happened to look out...There was a young couple with two little children..an older daughter and a little boy!! They were pulling them in a wagon. They had a piece of paper with them. I saw the kids run to our basketball stand and there were eggs there. I think maybe they walked around the neighborhood and hid eggs and then took their kids on a walk. I thought that was so special for those two little ones...At least I got to be in on that!!

Hopefully you have had a good day with family and celebration on this special day. We had tons of people last night at our first service..Something like 1235!! WOW!! Mike and I always attend that service. There were tons coming in for the 2nd one as we left. Today at our church there were to be 4 services!! WOW!! I just hope that many came out to hear the gospel...as only our pastor can preach...

FLIP FLOP

**My SIL is having her surgery this Thursday!! Please pray for Judy!!

Saturday Photo Hunt

Today's Word is

TRIANGLE

This is the hankie quilt that my mother made for me out of old hankies!! That is about all the triangles that I could find in this here house!! i know we need to go looking for these pictures but I am home so had to use what I had here...



Hopefully this is a wonderful weekend for everyone!! It is pretty here for sure..This is why I love living here in Savannah. The flowers are blooming and the weather is just near perfect. We have doors and windows open and the air is flowing through our home.



Last night we went to Good Friday Services at our church. They always have the best Good Friday. I forget from year to year and then am so pleasantly reminded of the awe of the service.

It is almost dark and very very quiet as you walk in. This year we entered from the fellowship hall. Along the way as you walk there were big hand painted posters with scriptures about the death of our Savior. There were candles all along the pathway. You next entered the overflow of our sanctuary. They had taken all of the chairs out and simply littered the floor with candles..There had to be hundreds of them.

Next you go into our sanctuary where it is deadly quiet except for this mournful music and on the big screen you see Jesus hanging between two thieves. There is a huge empty cross in the middle of the stage. The setting was just fabulous.

The service starts and the music is terrific as always. We take communion by going up to different stations and dipping our bread into a wine glass. Next we have been given a black little square of paper. We are asked to write our sins on that paper and nail them to the cross. They had about 6 locations with wood where you go and nail your paper to this large piece of wood.

You sit back down and listen to the hammering...the effect is just awesome!! Just to think what our Christ endured on the cross for us!!

Men pick up each section of the wood and take it to the empty cross and place the pieces inside the cross. Our sins are nailed to the cross just like Jesus died for us...right there on the Cross.

It was a very moving service and really leaves you with the awe and mystery of that Good Friday so long ago...

Now tonight at our service it will be the HALLELUJAH Praise service depicting Christ's resurrection from that old cross!! It will be full of praise and happiness!! What a time of the year for we who are Christians.

FLIP FLOP

Friday

This week has been full of some GOOD NEWS and some VERY BAD NEWS...I am afraid..The good news is always what we want first...


I am getting better and better by the day!! I was released from PT and so happy about that one..believe me..You will not know how happy!! I feel like I have been released from jail. I was released to go back to Curves which I did this morning. I can tell you that without exercise my body just does not like to work and it hurts more and more. Today was hard but i will just keep it up and one day I will feel better again..Right now I am mostly concerned about my left knee as it was the good one and now is not doing the best!! It just has to make it until next year..This operation (we saw the bill) was outrageous in price but easy in going through it so far..Wow!! I only hope that our insurance helps us out or well...we will not go there!!



My BAD news is that my brother's wife, Judy, has been diagnosed with breast cancer!! We were all just devastated as we had prayed that the biospy would come back good but it didn't!! So many ladies are having this horrible thing happen to them..Judy found a large lump (the size of a walnut)..she went right away and there is also another one right next to it. She has opted to have both breasts removed which I think is a great idea!! I would do that if faced with this awful problem. I have not heard when yet but hopefully it will be soon. I can only imagine that she is so ready to get this behind her. She lives in Arizona and we are here in Georgia. That is my one regret right now. I wish that we were closer. I would love to be of help to her now. One GOOD thing is that she has a good friend that has gone through the same thing and she is going to walk with Judy through all of this. Keep praying..WE are for complete healing!!


I have had some great computer problems and have spent tons of time on the phone with AT&T and also with my router...what fun..But I did talk to an American twice with AT&T and that is wonderful!! They need to give these jobs to we Americans...



I worked yesterday afternoon at Curves. I have some more hours coming up as our manager is gone. I sure do need the money. Mike is doing better. His business has picked up a tad..He is finishing up a kitchen today which is where the money is. You know we have to live.



Our home is still for sale. We are not giving up on that yet!!

Our family right now is the most important thing!! The devil seems to be after them and we are not going to let that happen...

FLIP FLOP

Tuesday Thoughts

Hubby says that I have not blogged in a long time. I asked him what i had to write about. He said you always have something to talk about!! Hm!! REALLY!! Well then I thought I need to blog on.....Something!!



So let's talk about SOMETHING!! The weather!! Cold for Savannah!! Also very windy and that makes it even colder!! I hear tomorrow is going to be that way too..PLUS lately we have received more rain than we have ever had in a long time now. This summer we will be beggin for this rain...Our clay soil just soaks this up like a big ole' sponge!!



The doctor released me yesterday to get back to driving and exercise (YES)!! I have missed driving and yes have also missed exercise too. I know it is going to take me awhile to get up to speed in exercising but OH i love my driving!! I had sure missed that..takes my independence away from me. My doctor said that my knee still has a lot of good tread on it!! YES!! He also said that when he saw it (my knee) he knew that I would get well fast. I am doing great too..just aching mostly!!



I go to that drated Physical Torture tomorrow afternoon!! I hope that will get over with soon as it hurts more after words than I did before I go. They are quite the slave drivers.. I think that I am training for a marathon or something...When I am through my hair is wet like I just washed it...wow!! I don't want to run anywhere, anyplace or anytime soon!! Smile!!



I get a face lift tomorrow...in a matter of words...I am getting some of my gray hair out...or at least covered over for now. I cannot tell you how much better I feel after I get my hair colored...I know it sounds crazy but it makes me feel pretty again!! I feel like if something makes you feel better and you can save the money to have it done well go for it!! Wish men understood that better...My man is just beginning to learn I think..took enough time.



Well that is about all my thoughts for now except i have been praying for my sister in law...my brother's wife, Judy. She has found two lumps in her breast..One as big as a golf ball too...She had a biopsy and is to find out today or tomorrow the results. I am so praying that it is benign. She has a family history and so that concerns me even more..She is so young and I am praying for her results.



Those are my thoughts for today I reckon. Not much in the way of anything special..just today and my world...

FLIP FLOP
Thought for the day: "When the great pilot is at the helm, why should the passenger pace the deck?"

PT today or Physical Torture!!

No, really it is not that bad...I don't mind the time that I am there but about 6 hours or less later and every muscle in my operated knee yells, screams, cramps and wants to just be left alone!! GREAT!! I know this is for my own good!! I really, really do!! PT has changed since I went years ago...now they do not do the manipulating and now it is all done with belts, machines and well JUST yourself doing the work!!

I love what Kathy said about one of these exercises that they have you do ...so have to share of course...They ask you to stand on the bad leg not touching a thing for 20 seconds..Your left knee or good knee cannot touch your right knee or the bad knee. Kathy said when they had her do this she said, "How do you think that I can do this now when I could not do it before my accident?" I thought that was funny!! Just one of the things that just automatically comes out of her.

She has been my driver...thank God...I don't know how I would have been able to go to my PT...Hopefully after this coming Monday the doctor will let me drive or I am going to be in a pickle. I will have to walk..guess I will have to start the night before...smile!!



I will get back to reading your blogs...double pinkie promise!! Just been one of those weeks. WE have had tons of rain...for Savannah that is something that just does not happen. It has rained most of the week with Kathy and Charlie being here..Not fair to them..BUT we always need the rain. I think it has also helped with the allergies for us too. My eyes suffer!!



My parents are all excited because they finally have a real church!! They started out as a very small bunch of people at the mortuary!! My parents thought that was a good place because as they put it they would not have far to go!! Smile!! They have struggled as a small church but I think they are just beginning to see some growth!! Praise God who is still working in this world!!

Our wonderful company leaves in the morning and boy do we hate that!! This has been a very quick week for them and for us. We have had company in our house again which I really miss a lot!! It is always so much fun!! BUT the good times always come to an end, don't they!!

FLIP FLOP
Thought for the day: "I did not find my friends, God gave them to me"!! Right?? This is from Ralph Waldo Emerson