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Sep 28, 2004
It Is Time…..to be Thankful:)
…..Just received an e-mail from my dear friend, Pat Williams, who was saying ’thank you’ for praying…..and she spoke of knowing that praying actually dispatches angels into crisis situations…..
You must understand that this person is sitting on her back patio, viewing a ’washed away dock’ that dear Walker had worked and worked on all summer….She knew first hand…by experience….the effects of all the Florida storms…..Yet, Pat, from her inner beauty….has a grateful heart and took the time to communicate a ‘thank you’ to me and my family and prayer girls…..for praying…
Yes, it is time to be thankful…..first to God for allowing our lives to be spared, again and again. Also, to the many hands and hearts that have been there during this entire month of “another one’s coming…hunker down” experience….
A ‘wake-up-call’ has been issued….take nothing for granted!
Live continuously with a grateful heart….for family, friends, faith, and the ‘things’ that a lifetime of honest, hard work has produced.
We are certainly blessed every day of our life….there is so much ‘beauty’ to behold in people….even in the midst of chaos and confusion….
….the Psalms says this….90:12 LB….”Teach us how short our lives really are so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Floridians have seen this Psalm come to life….Wisdom says….
It is Time….to be Thankful!
Be Happy….YOU ARE LOVED!
Thank you, Pat, for reminding us all…..to have a ‘grateful’ heart.
……Remember……Why Worry? When you can pray!
Sep 27, 2004
“Enough Already“…..says Florida
Still reeling from Hurricane Jeanne this morning, most Floridians are accepting the fact that…the abnormal has now become…..normal!
Cleaning up debris, assessing damage…..accepting loss….has been a month long process for many of us.
Oh, well, at least it wasn’t a snow blizzard….that we wouldn’t know how to handle!
Viewing our screened pool cover, commonly called a ’bird cage’, we find that we did avoid a complete collapse of the entire unit. Using a ladder and pole as props during the storm, we had to run in and out repositioning them again and again as the wind lifted it off our supports…We did this for hours.
Being without electricity was a bummer too…..
When it returned 8 hours later….we really celebrated.
Brittney and Joshua were our helpers…this was Britt’s first Florida storm since she was in North Carolina for Frances….
She videotaped the first part and like all of us….grew weary during loss of power. Joshua was a trouper. He didn’t want to take a nap at all…too much excitement for him to sleep.
All in all, we are still blessed. Living in today’s sunshine, working in shorts for clean up….and having electricity….well that is the Florida we know and love….
Sep 23, 2004
Sand Castles or Castles In The Sand…
Florida is my home state….Florida is surrounded by water…and sand.
Hurricane Ivan hit sand/land in the Pensacola Beach area and brought 25 ft. waves of water plus mountains of sand into the homes on the beach.
The beach had recently undergone a $20-million renourishment program.
But Ivan blew most of the sand into the middle of the island.
This white sand looks like mountains of snow all over the place…
“When the cleanup from the storm begins, the sand will be sifted for debris and returned to the beach.” said FEMA officials.
Many peoples dream homes, their castles… were swept away in a short moment in time…
Speaking to my cousin Ray’s wife Betty…..who was standing in line for water and ice….Betty said that she had stood in line the day before and the supply was depleted before she was served…..I asked her if we could bring generators or chain saws to her and the family and she said…”No, they had those…but could not get gas for them….only one station was serving gas two days after the storm….”
Look how many people it takes…every day for us to….get food, clothes, electricity, gas, medicine etc. on a daily basis….
We can see clearly in this catastrophe what happens when that line of servers is temporarily put out of commission…..
Everyone has to ….cooperate…..together….to help for the ‘greater cause’ of meeting the needs around them…Sacrifice is a must….
Americans are great at ‘helping each other’ in a crisis such as this one.
Someone in the picture below said it best by sticking an American Flag in the castles in the sand on Pensacola Beach….
America will rebuild…..God Bless America!
Sep 22, 2004
Changes
Resistance to change can be….painful!
This I know from experience…..sometimes changes come to us in a negative way but these can be used as a learning experience. At other times positives experiences produce changes…..
In both cases, I find that I am reluctant to ’accept change’ but have a tendency to ’hang on to the familiar’ whether it is good or bad.
If I didn’t have prayer and my Bible as a Fax Machine to Heaven….I would go nuts….or be nuttier!
Example: yesterday as all the phone reports were coming to me from ‘on the scene’ at Britt’s accident, all I could think about was ‘my joy child’ and her safety and what something like this would ‘cost’ her as a single Mom.
Actually I was agitated to death in my heart……Prayer changed that!Once I had ‘peace’ of mind and heart…EVEN IN THE STORM…..I was able to move forward and do my part to help….
The accident was bad….negative….the responses from others around Brittney were all positive. Everyone around her on the scene, at the hospital, in our family, and later yesterday as she went by her office at work….resulted in an outpouring of compassion and love.
People wanted to hug and kiss her but were afraid to hurt her battered body.
Brittney is literally our ‘ good cheer’ girl….all that she has poured out into others…..came rushing back to her thru this accident….
We felt so helpless….to help her…..but love came rushing through from our hearts and she FELT that…..
Why in the world do we allow this wonderful, positive, passion of life to lay dormant in our heart….every day….and then just bring it out in crisis and emergency situations?
Lord only knows because it is the very breathe of life….beautiful, positive and RIGHT….
I have made a decision to change my mind….and my heart….and let others know on a daily basis….how very much they enhance my life.
I can change…..ME!
Sep 21, 2004
A Day of Hell….Touched by Angels….
Yesterday started out fine as could be….I had a 11:00 appointment which I had waited three weeks for and Charlie had a 3:00 p.m. appointment in Tampa.
Lo and Behold, at 8:09a.m. Lynn calls and said that Britt had been in a car accident as she exited Howard Franklin Bridge going east bound on to Kennedy Blvd. Britt had the green light and upon going through a woman made a U turn directly in her path….trying to avoid her or have the choice of a steel pole to her right, Britt tried with all her might (says 5 witnesses)
to avoid ‘the accident’….she was driving a small, one year old, Toyota….the other woman was driving a SUV Explorer.
You know who lost in the ’metal crunch’….
Looks like Britt’s car is totaled….and her head hit and busted the front windshield YET HER AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY!
Little damage was done to the other vehicle and the Explorer lady was cited for causing the accident.
The first woman on the scene put her arms around a crying and distraught Brittney saying, “Who can I call for you?” Brittney handed the lady her own cell phone after pushing Lynn’s (her Mom’s) speed dial number….
Giving the facts to Lynn on the phone , the lady said, “I’m a ‘woman of faith’ and everything is going to be all right!”
What a blessing…..
The corporate offices around the intersection brought spectators and someone gave Britt a cup of water as she was regurgitating.
It is a miracle that she had….no cuts….no broken bones….
She did have a slight concussion where her head busted the windshield, right shoulder injury and most of all…..shock, physical and mental.
Meanwhile, Ashley is pulling into Westshore Mall, which is right around the corner from Britt’s accident. Getting the call from Lynn…she is at Brittney’s side within 5 minutes…..
Lynn picks up Charlie at our house and heads across the bridge.
They start taking care of the clean up details .
Everybody around told the police officer that Britt did everything she could to avoid the accident…Sadly, the other driver did not ever speak to Britt to see if she was all right….
But angels did abound….Stranger angels, family angels, law enforcement angels, traffic direction angels etc.
Help was there as needed….Britt always helps others….every day….as a natural event of her personality and life.
Yes, help was certainly there for her….
Praying at home…..I reminded (as if I needed to) God of Britt’s necessity to life for her 3 yr. old Joshua…..and how essential she is to every member of our family and her many friends…
Then I had….peace.
Meantime, Lynn is praying with the woman who first befriended Britt…all of this taking place in the midst of a busy public intersection.
Ashley goes to hospital with Britt, Charlie and Lynn get Britt’s personal objects from her car as it is being towed away…
Having made the decision to meet my 11:00 appointment, I am assured by all that everything was under control and Britt was in good hands….
…….Lynn rushed from scene to my appointment with me at 11:15.
She INSISTED….you who know Lynn…knows she won’t take “No” for an answer!
Around 1:30 Lynn and I stop for a bite of lunch receiving the news that Britt was released from emergency room after all kinds of test….shook up but with an otherwise good report….
Everyone came back to our house at 2:00p.m. and Charlie goes to his Tampa appointment as Lynn goes home for picking Joshua up from school at 5:00. Ashley tells Britt and I good-bye at 3:30 and heads back across Howard Franklin….I try to get Britt in bed as her phone rings….
Ashley says, “You’re not going to believe this but I am stranded in the middle of HF Bridge….something was in the road and I and others hit it blowing out my front tire immediately.” Ashley had called her brother who has access to a wrecker (had done the same thing for Britt at 10:00a.m.) .
Britt insists that ‘Ashley was there when she needed her’ and I must take her to Ash for comfort.
Not believing this day myself…..Britt with arm in sling, and I…go to Ashley. Just before we got there we saw large remains of what looked like a heavy ceramic article….bathtub or such.
Other vehicles were also disabled…some changed tires…some were ’wreckered’ off. What a horror show!
Ashley is calm and cool….that’s Ash…she was on the phone assuring her Mom, Dad, Matt etc. that we were with her and that her brother, Andrew, was sending a tow truck but would take about 45 min. from north Tampa….then must cross 7 mile bridge and turn around to meet us half way on eastbound side… by this time we are at 4:30 and work traffic is crazy…another vehicle has to change a tire after hitting debris which is at the side and broken up in smaller pieces thanks to Ash and others….
Next, we call Lynn and she is astonished thinking Britt was safe in bed and resting comfortably.
Charlie’s phone is off during his appointment but he soon gets the message(4:30)….calls for update and must pass right by us on west bound side. We tell him not to come over….it has been an hour of waiting by now and the tow truck has entered 5:00 work traffic.
Ash and Britt are amazing…..Ash tells Britt her hard head busted the front windshield without leaving a scratch on her skin there….Britt says, “Well, at least, I didn’t run into a bathtub at 65 miles an hour!”
Suddenly I get hit with a big piece of blowing cardboard and tell them” I’m leaving…..if I hang around with you two any longer I am going to get killed!”
Traumatized crazy by this time….it is a relief to laugh!
Most of all both girls…..know they are a Miracle and had angels all around them in the storm….
Comfort as needed…..is a must!
Being ready to ‘help’ or ‘receive help’ is all that is required in a day such as today….
Storms, accidents, crisis encounters….there is always a ’helpful angel’ right around the corner for you and I…..
May God Bless your day today….and MINE!
Sep 20, 2004
Building Memories
We have a boating friend named Kurt….who has a delightful sense of humor….Teasing and joking with Kurt can be very enlightening because he is a man of adventure, action, get-the-job-done mentality.
Kurt was telling some tall-tale one day….I must add that his tales are not woven fiction but actually ’watered down truths’ if Melissa is listening…. and afterwards I said, “Kurt, why in the world do you do such daring, dangerous things like that?”
He says, “Well, I look at it this way….one day when I am sitting in that rocking chair….I’ll have a lot of interesting things to think about and remember!”
I just read a devotion that speaks Kurt’s wisdom….It says,
…. “A famous ball player reflected over a highly successful career. He had been a feared hitter, and no one challenged his throwing arm from the field. He was well-muscled and a fine athlete. He quit playing while he was still doing well, and it was a decision he felt good about the rest of his life. When he had gotten old, he still had fine memories of his glory days, but that wasn’t all he had. He had seen to many players who lived in their own pasts, and that was sad. He had used his time well, had made good investments, developed other interests, and he enjoyed a full and active life as a senior citizen. His strength had faded his athletic days were behind him, but he had his mind, and no one could take that away from him…”
……Age brings with it certain limitations, but it also gives certain strengths. Experience gives us a perspective on life that we can obtain no other way than growing older. The aged in our world have a wonderful legacy to offer us in the form of their experience and observations.
Yes, I say…”You go, Kurt! Build ’fun’ memories…but listen to Melissa.. (and Pammy)… you are only human and if I remember correctly….you WILL be 50 in January, 2005!”
Sep 16, 2004
Who Needs TV Survivors Program?
Read in today’s paper that ‘Survivors’ would begin its new programming tonight and the article had the audacity to refer to the program as ….’the reality series’ ninth saga’…..
The producers pay good money to create artificial scenario’s….simulations of ‘real life’ they say….in order to test the personality, characters and fortitude of a set number of human beings….
……My God, why don’t they just bring their cameras to Florida and do the truth of a very REAL series.
All they would have to do is show up at the….Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA….and record story after story of real life survivors….not paid participants but actual events and persons…
Hero’s abound!
Electric linesmen and women, firemen and women, law enforcement personnel, volunteers from all walks of life participating in serving the needs of their fellow human beings.
…..
Actually every life in Florida has a story to tell NOW!
Just heard it said by a ’native Floridian’…..”Maybe this will make people think twice about moving to Florida!”
Don’t think so…..for you see….WE ARE ALL….SURVIVORS!
Living in Sunny Paradise has its costs…..but by helping each other we all have paid the price of the luxury of living in…..God’s Country!
Our personality, characters and fortitude have been tested again and again….and Praise God….Floridians still survive daily…..
Yes, to me…..This is The Good Life….problems and all….
Sep 14, 2004
Web Logs….Blogs ... Or Perhaps....Typographic Forensics—
Reading our St. Pete Times newspaper this morning, I find a front page article about a blog posted by “Buckhead”. The writer of this blog questioned the validity of documents Dan Rather cited as proof that George W. Bush did not fulfill his National Guard Duty more than 30 years ago.
‘Buckhead’ suggested that the CBS report referred to documents that very well could have been forged. One proof was in the typed “187 th’ which would have been typed in as ‘th‘ on electric typewriters 30 years ago yet it appeared on this ’allegedly aged’ document as…..187th which today’s Microsoft Word Documents automatically produce as the superscript…..
How about that, sports fans?
Are our blogs personal, private or public?
Who reads them?
How much ’truth’ is found on these web logs?
Only God knows***
Personally I find it very amusing that any ’blog’ can be quoted or used as a point of ’authority’…..in the above case the blog writer just pointed out the ‘insanities’ in the document that a ’rookie’ computer user would recognize as a fraud or typographic forensics....
But there is another truth here…..The simple sometimes sees the obvious…
Lest we forget…..
Sep 13, 2004
21st Birthday “Tacky” Party
Saturday we celebrated Chuckie’s/Pipo’s ….21st Birthday.
He had Marine Reserve duty this week-end but came back to our house around 5:00 p.m. to the family zoo….
All the family had arrived a couple of hours earlier dressed so ’tacky’ that no one would stop at Publix and pick up ice cream. Guess they feared being arrested as a ’loonie’….
Anyway, when our boy arrived he just shook his head from side to side as if to say…..”I thought I had seen it all from this bunch….how did I get ’borned’ here?”
Even his birthday cake was crazy….it was decorated as the ’eye of a storm’ and said….Go Away Ivan…..Happy Birthday Chuckie….
Aunt Lynn won the ultimate prize….a lampshade on her head with stuffed animals hanging all around plus Joshua’s favorite characters hanging from every corner of her skirt gave her the edge on….tacky.
Future bride, Melissa Jo, came as a ½ bride-in-waiting….
Britt and Ashley were pretty even though they were….ugly.
Matt, of course, always gets into the swing of things….said he got hit in the head with a VCR in the storm and ’lost his book learning’….
Joshua walked around in a daze…never saw such carrying on in his short 3 years of life….and by adults no less.
Just goes to show at the lengths some people will go to in order to….have fun….and celebrate the 21st Birthday of a loved one….
Long live Chuckie…..Be Blessed by your wacky family, Sweetheart….
Just wait till your wedding in November….
We will dress very elegant…..maybe!
See pictures below…
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