Remembering….
As we approach the third anniversary of 9/11...I find it significant to pause and listen to…..Lisa Beamer on Good Morning America - If you remember, she's the wife of Todd Beamer who said "Let's Roll!" and helped take down the plane that was heading for Washington, D.C.
She said it's the little things that she misses most about Todd, such as hearing the garage door open as he came home, and her children running to meet him. She's now the Mom of a beautiful little girl, Mary.
Lisa recalled this story:
“I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there.
With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, "Class is over. I would like to share with all of you, a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important.
"Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is the Powers way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day."
Her eyes beginning to water, she went on, "So I would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a scent, perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground.
"Please look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are the 'stuff' of life. The little things we are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for granted. We must make it important to notice them, for at anytime it can all be taken away."
The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester.
Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook.
Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot, or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double dip ice cream cone. For as we get older, is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do.”
Remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments… that take our breath away.
Aug 27, 2004
Aug 23, 2004
Day Out With Bride To Be...Melissa Jo
Pictures say it all....On Sat. several of us went with Melissa Jo to a Bridal Shop in Tampa for her "Fairy Tale Gown" selection.
We all agreed on the very same gown which she had chosen beforehand online. Yet she tried on several others to be sure....
Her chosen gown is eXquisite to say the least.
Chuckie, you will just have to wait until Dec. 18th to see your Princess....
Click on pictures below to enlarge for better viewing....
Aug 20, 2004
Aug 19, 2004
Happy Birthday Terry and Chuck…..
Celebrated with several family members at Dish in Bay Walk yesterday.
Also, celebrated Chuckie/Pipo’s and Melissa Jo’s forthcoming marriage on December 18.
Our food was good but everyone had only a limited amount of time .
As a result we rushed through our time together, shared news quickly, heard wedding plans, and made plans for the next family birthday/anniversary in the family…
Wonder what happened to my ‘gearing down’ time?
Guess Hurricane Charley swept it away in the storm.
“Oh, well….more to come”, as Victor used to say….
........The Best is Yet To Come….in The Good Life!
Aug 16, 2004
Hurricane Charley
“The price we pay for living in Paradise”, this is what the announcer said on Saturday after Hurricane Charley paid Florida a visit…
The price was high in Punta Gorda, Arcadia, Wauchula, Lake Wales and Kissimmee area.
Our brother, Dockie and wife Annie P. in Kissimme, had their daughter, Nancy and her family from Englewood/Sarasota area come to their home on Friday. Residents from our Tampa/St. Pete area evacuated to the Orlando area since the Tampa Bay coast was expected to be hit head on…
Our family lived in a mandatory evacuation zone so four different households of family went to our son, Chad’s, house in northern New Tampa. Two dogs in cages came as well….Along with one very active 3 yr. old, Joshua, and another 4 yr. old, Dillon.
Tracking the hurricane on TV and on the computer kept us alert…and praying….Lo and behold, around 3:00 p.m. we began to realize that something was happening which was causing the hurricane to change the course of prediction…realizing that we were ’out of danger’ so to speak, we sighed with relief and at 4:30 began to pack up to go back home….streets were deserted in Tampa…an eerie feeling of the aftermath.
Later I called Dockie’s house and spoke with Annie P. and they assured us that all was well at their house full of family…..
When the storm raged around their house later, they took refuge in a large downstairs closet. Hearing loud winds and much rain….they had no idea until morning that the top layer of their roof had been peeled off, trees uprooted, gazebos demolished and sinks from boat dock disappeared…..
No electricity, no phone service, intermitting cell phone service but family and friends came a running….Much of their neighborhood was the same.
Fortunately they had a generator for power equipment and refrigerator and freezer service….
On Saturday, Charlie and I drove over from Tampa, Sam and Sally from Okeechobee, Chris and his wonderful supplies and muscles, quickly set to work…getting almost all the roof temporarily covered….the rains came again….
Next day, Kurt and Melissa arrived (they lost a barn and car port covers) and the necessary supplies were acquired in order to finish the temporary cover.
Dockie and Annie P. were working to exhaustion each day and sleeping with anxiety at night. Yet they survived and weathered the mental and emotional storm……wonderfully….
Thank God for family and friends….in good times and bad.
For all of you who have called from everywhere….Yes, we are all right…
Thanks for your concern….and prayers… ...See Dockie & Ann pictures below...
Aug 7, 2004
Prayer Works….Again!
Meeting with Abby and Nancy for prayer on Thursday we received the good news that Nancy is ….engaged and has a white, flawless diamond on her left hand and a dazzling smile on her face!
Our single Mom is beaming since she and ‘Stan the Man’ met and….fell in love…it seems as if they are both an ‘answer to prayer’ for each other…
Miracles do happen….God is still in the “Love Business”….
Congratulations, Nancy and Stan…..God Bless you both….
Abby arrived for prayer and put me up to date on her ‘computer dilemma‘…. this is her new computer about three months old….
Seems the teens in the family used it recently and ever since ….pop-ups were coming out of the wood work and interfering with every command given to the browser…She and I worked one full day on her nightmare and to no avail….
That evening she called HP technical support and was on the phone until midnight doing every check under the sun…even taking the medal case off of the tower as per their instructions…
Final analysis….system wiped out and Restore CD will have to be used.
We will do that on Monday..
Our other partner, Taina, is changing gears in her life at this time as well…
We girls have been meeting for about seven years and as a result we know the good, bad and ugly of daily life for each of us…
We have seen success, failure, disappointment, happiness and joy and love….true love….prevail at all costs. Prayers…prayed years ago….are being answered in today’s life for many members of our individual families…we each have a ‘story to tell’ but our one common theme in life is our ‘faith’. We are sisters of the heart…or as a southern movie says….”The Secret Sisterhood of the Ya Ya Sisters“..
Our main philosophy of life can be explained simply….
….”Why Worry? When You Can Pray!”
IF I KNEW
If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss and call you back for one more.
If I knew it would be the last time I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word, so I could play them back day after day.
If I knew it would be the last time, I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.
If I knew it would be the last time I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more, so I can let just this one slip away.
For surely there's always tomorrow to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance to make everything just right.
There will always be another day to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance to say our "Anything I can do?"
But just in case I might be wrong, and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you and I hope we never forget.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight.
So if you're waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day,
That you didn't take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone, what turned out to be their one last wish.
So hold your loved ones close today, and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them and that you'll always hold them dear
Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today…..
Aug 3, 2004
Changing Gears….
You know that life has many chapters…..Some of the chapters of my life, as I now reflect, I don’t even recognize……me!
Being the same person….yet different by experience….can be humbling ….or frightening as well….
Now is such a time as that….
Changing gears…..to slow down…..is a must…..
Thinking about Brett, Travis and Jessie…makes me want to treasure each and every single moment that I have with my dear ones…
Rushing thru my days…from one activity to another….seems like life is on ‘fast-forward’.
I will stop that….of my own free will….(so help me God)…
NOW is that time to change gears and put my days on a slower pace, make decisions accordingly, change some of my choices that are already in place and say ‘No’ at other times…..
Today….the present….is a present of life….I thank God for it…
Aug 2, 2004
United in Prayer
Saturday morning I received a call that our friend, Brett Collins, was involved in a tragic accident and had been airlifted to the hospital. He had a friend, Travis, visiting him from Indiana who was also airlifted to the Orlando Hospital. The driver of their vehicle, 17 year old Jessie, did not survive the accident…
Jessie was driving and attempting to pass a vehicle…seeing another car approaching ahead she increased her speed to pass and in the process lost control of her vehicle…..flipping over many, many times….
All three young people were wearing seat belts and the airbags did deploy.
Hearing about the accident within the first couple of hours I sent the word out vie e-mail and phone to many people that I knew….knew how to pray immediately…911 prayers from people of faith who knew how to stand in the gap in an emergency…..was lifted to heaven….in behalf of all families involved….
Today I can report that Brett and Travis have stabilized and are able to communicate with their family and friends. They are our Miracle answer to prayer…Thank you all for your prayers….
Jessica is the Coach’s daughter at Brett’s school and our hearts go out to her family…
If you look at lasts weeks writings when we were scalloping, you will see that it was Brett who took the time to ‘teach us’ how to do it properly…
He is such a wonderful young man as I had just told his mother, Kim, while we were in Steinhatchee. Brett went skiing with us last year and kept us laughing at his ‘Brett economics’ …
Again, we continue to pray…..may healing come quickly….especially to the hearts and minds of loved ones and friends….
Yes, within one week of time…..life changes happened….Life is soooo Fragile….please, dear ones…..freely tell your dear ones and friends their value of life to you and others…..appreciate and verbalize that gratitude and love….daily…
It is the very ESSENCE of life…the good life…
