I've been dealing with MS fatigue for a while now. Recently I was diagnosed with
rheumatoid arthritis in my hands. Then I found out that the fatigue didn't go away
because I had a thyroid deficiency.
I'm dealing with all those things rather well. It's the wrinkles on my face that are
getting me down.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
50 YEARS
RW and I met at the Baptist Student Union at Sam Houston State University where I was a junior and RW was a graduate student. I was a work study secretary for the Industrial Arts Department which was on the basement floor of the Agriculture Building. I often saw RW as I walked through the Ag building on my way to work. But it was a mutual friend, Bobby Wood, who introduced us. We had a few dates before he left for California where he served a six-month tour at Fort Ord. When the spring semester started, he was back home in Texas. He got a job teaching English (of all things) in Anahuac. I was doing my student teaching in nearby Baytown.
We started dating again and spending a lot of time grading papers together. On April 18, 1961, we were at the beach. RW got very quiet, and not being much of a talker myself, I started wondering if I had done something to offend him. I was really relieved, and then very happy, when he asked me to marry him. That proposal was my first clue that we were going to have to work on our communication skills.
The next day Raiford came to see me and brought a cake and an engagement ring.
A few days later we went to Sweeny for RW to meet my parents. He made a great impression on them, and they approved of him immediately. RW's parents welcomed me into their family too. We know how fortunate we are to have had in-laws who loved and accepted us both.
We set the wedding date for August 12, and my mother began working on my wedding dress and making plans for the ceremony and reception. I asked my sisters, Betty and Pat, to be my attendants. RW asked his brother Henry and his friend Bobby Wood to be his. Bro. Andrew Pate, who had been my pastor while I was in high school, performed the ceremony.
Because so many of our guests had to travel long distances, and there was nary a motel in Sweeny, we had the rehearsal dinner at noon and the wedding ceremony in the evening of the 12th. We proved the superstition about not letting the groom see the bride on the day of the wedding to be false.
Two weeks before the wedding date, I found out that I would have to have surgery to remove an ovary. The doctor told us not to postpone the wedding, but to report to the hospital the day after the wedding. So we only went as far as Bay City on the first night of our "honeymoon." We went to church Sunday morning at Calvary Baptist Church in Bay City, and went to the hospital in Wharton after lunch.
In the hospital the nurses tried to make our hospital honeymoon as comfortable and pleasant as possible. They allowed RW to stay in the room with me, and pampered us in every way they could think of. They made a Honeymoon Suite sign for our door.
We stayed in the hospital one week, then spent the rest of the recuperation time at my parents' home for one week, and then one week at RW's parents' home.
As soon as the doctor cleared me to travel, we were off on our grand adventure, the great unknown of the University of Missouri. I think we should probably be in the Guiness Book of World Records for the strangest honeymoon on record.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Baseball Is Our Game
Our grandsons play baseball. They don't just play baseball. They live baseball. This weekend Kyle and Daniel played four games in Belton. The Rough Riders usually play in the Metroplex area, so this was a treat for us.
It was a strange sort of tournament. Every team played four games, and there wasn't a championship game. It was a stress free situation.
The third game was the most interesting. The opposing team showed up with only seven players. The Rough Riders coach agreed to let one of his players help them out so the game could be played. Daniel, as the youngest Rough Rider, was chosen to play for the opposing team. Incidentally, he was the star of their team, catching fly balls, throwing runners out at first, etc.
What made the game really interesting was that big brother Kyle was pitching. This situation put RW and me in an awkward position. Who do we yell for? Well, RW stepped up to the plate and yelled for both of them. When Kyle pitched to Daniel, he yelled, "Hit a homer, Daniel." Then immediately he yelled, "Strike him out, Kyle." The folks in the stands got a big kick out of the situation. It was a fun, game for everyone.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
LIVING WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Multiple Sclerosis came into my life in 1966. At the time I didn't know that it was MS. It took many years to come to that diagnosis.
RW and I were living in Cameroon, West Africa, at the time. My first symptom was vertigo. Severe vertigo. Vertigo that wouldn't go away. Could this be some dread African disease? I remember having an attack while RW was away in Bamenda. Many, many miles away. I was alone in bed, holding on to the pillow to keep from falling off the bed. Thinking that by the time RW got home, I would surely be dead. Back in the states in 1967, I went to a doctor at Scott & White Clinic in Temple. After examining me, he told me it was pscyhosomatic. In other words, get over yourself. Thank you very much, Doctor.
Next came optic neuritis. I woke up one morning with blurry vision. I went to the eye doctor that I saw to get my glasses. He didn't have a clue what was wrong with me and sent me to my local medical doctor. He didn't know either. (In those days, it wasn't common to go to a specialist as it is today.) Thankfully optic neuritis seems to run its course in six weeks or so. I've dealt with optic neuritis several times through the years, but thankfully I knew it wouldn't last forever.
One of the main problems I've had through the years is fatigue. That's not really a good name for it, but it seems to be the best way to describe the indescribable. I sometimes call it an energy crisis. There is no rhyme or reason to it as there would be if I had done a hard day's work. It just happens out of nowhere. For me, it comes on rapidly and unexpectedly. It has been described as a tidal wave of fatigue. To me it feels as if a heavy wet blanket is thrown over my head and moves down my body until I don't have strength to do anything. Through the years I've seen doctors for this too. They all told me it was tension and fatigue. "Go home and rest." I'm not a tense person, and I can't say that I work hard enough to get that fatigued. It has been very frustrating.
Heat is one of the worst problems for a person with MS. It brings on a similar fatigue like the one described above, except that you know why it's happening. Heat saps every bit of energy from my body. I have found that I don't function when I'm in temperature above 80 degrees. But I have learned to pay attention to my body, and can tell when the temperature is approaching that 80 degrees. So I can get to a cooler place and avoid the fatigue. I have a cooling vest that I wear when I need to be outside in the heat. It allows me to be able to attend my grandsons baseball games for which I am grateful.
In October of 1995, I noticed that the toes on my left foot were tingling. I had just gotten new tennis shoes, so I thought maybe they were too small. But the tinglng didn't go away. In fact it progressed until both of my legs were tingling all the time. I went to my doctor who ran every test he could think of, but found nothing wrong with me. So I boldly said, "So what are we going to do about it?" He referred me to Dr. Folander, a neurologist at Scott & White. Dr. Folander ran many more tests including an MRI and a lumbar puncture. He found lesions on my spine and spots on my brain consistent with MS. However, since there is no definitive test that points specifically to MS, he labled me "probable MS." Even though I could point to the episodes I've described above, he had to see two exacerbations for himself before he would say that I definitely had MS. I saw him every couple of months until I had optic neuritis again. I will never forget how I felt when he told me that I definitely had multiple sclerosis. I asked him how long it would be before I would be in a wheel chair. He told me it could be a year or 20 years. It's been 16 years, and I'm still on my feet.
Dr. Folander told me about the different treatments that were available. None is a cure, but they are all thought to slow down the progression of the disease. He didn't push me to start therapy, so I resisted for a couple of years. When I could tell that my left leg was getting weaker, I gave in and started taking Avonex, an inteferon injection which I take once a week. I think it's working for me, because even though my left leg continues to slowly weaken and continues to tingle, I haven't had any serious problems other than the fatigue factor in quite some time.
The scariest thing that has happened to me was a very bad fatigue attack. It happened a couple of years ago when we were on our way home from visiting GW's family in Bryan. I had one of those tidal waves hit, but this time it was more like a tsunami. It just got worse and worse. I asked RW to stop the car and let me out. I don't know how I thought getting out of the car would help, but I just wanted out. He stopped the car, and I reached for the door handle. That's the last thing I remembered. Evidently I got the door opened, because I fell out head first. Broke my glasses and cracked my front tooth. By the time RW got around to my side of the car, the man in the car behind us had stopped to help. I came to and wondered what I was doing with my head in the gravel. They got me up and into the car. When we got on our way, RW said he wondered if the man thought he had pushed me out. I said I wondered if my rear end was sticking up in the air.
RW has been my rock. He is very protective and supportive. He gives my injections every week. And he always makes sure that he has packed my cooling vest when he thinks I'll need it. I don't know what I would do without him. I am blessed.
RW and I were living in Cameroon, West Africa, at the time. My first symptom was vertigo. Severe vertigo. Vertigo that wouldn't go away. Could this be some dread African disease? I remember having an attack while RW was away in Bamenda. Many, many miles away. I was alone in bed, holding on to the pillow to keep from falling off the bed. Thinking that by the time RW got home, I would surely be dead. Back in the states in 1967, I went to a doctor at Scott & White Clinic in Temple. After examining me, he told me it was pscyhosomatic. In other words, get over yourself. Thank you very much, Doctor.
Next came optic neuritis. I woke up one morning with blurry vision. I went to the eye doctor that I saw to get my glasses. He didn't have a clue what was wrong with me and sent me to my local medical doctor. He didn't know either. (In those days, it wasn't common to go to a specialist as it is today.) Thankfully optic neuritis seems to run its course in six weeks or so. I've dealt with optic neuritis several times through the years, but thankfully I knew it wouldn't last forever.
One of the main problems I've had through the years is fatigue. That's not really a good name for it, but it seems to be the best way to describe the indescribable. I sometimes call it an energy crisis. There is no rhyme or reason to it as there would be if I had done a hard day's work. It just happens out of nowhere. For me, it comes on rapidly and unexpectedly. It has been described as a tidal wave of fatigue. To me it feels as if a heavy wet blanket is thrown over my head and moves down my body until I don't have strength to do anything. Through the years I've seen doctors for this too. They all told me it was tension and fatigue. "Go home and rest." I'm not a tense person, and I can't say that I work hard enough to get that fatigued. It has been very frustrating.
Heat is one of the worst problems for a person with MS. It brings on a similar fatigue like the one described above, except that you know why it's happening. Heat saps every bit of energy from my body. I have found that I don't function when I'm in temperature above 80 degrees. But I have learned to pay attention to my body, and can tell when the temperature is approaching that 80 degrees. So I can get to a cooler place and avoid the fatigue. I have a cooling vest that I wear when I need to be outside in the heat. It allows me to be able to attend my grandsons baseball games for which I am grateful.
In October of 1995, I noticed that the toes on my left foot were tingling. I had just gotten new tennis shoes, so I thought maybe they were too small. But the tinglng didn't go away. In fact it progressed until both of my legs were tingling all the time. I went to my doctor who ran every test he could think of, but found nothing wrong with me. So I boldly said, "So what are we going to do about it?" He referred me to Dr. Folander, a neurologist at Scott & White. Dr. Folander ran many more tests including an MRI and a lumbar puncture. He found lesions on my spine and spots on my brain consistent with MS. However, since there is no definitive test that points specifically to MS, he labled me "probable MS." Even though I could point to the episodes I've described above, he had to see two exacerbations for himself before he would say that I definitely had MS. I saw him every couple of months until I had optic neuritis again. I will never forget how I felt when he told me that I definitely had multiple sclerosis. I asked him how long it would be before I would be in a wheel chair. He told me it could be a year or 20 years. It's been 16 years, and I'm still on my feet.
Dr. Folander told me about the different treatments that were available. None is a cure, but they are all thought to slow down the progression of the disease. He didn't push me to start therapy, so I resisted for a couple of years. When I could tell that my left leg was getting weaker, I gave in and started taking Avonex, an inteferon injection which I take once a week. I think it's working for me, because even though my left leg continues to slowly weaken and continues to tingle, I haven't had any serious problems other than the fatigue factor in quite some time.
The scariest thing that has happened to me was a very bad fatigue attack. It happened a couple of years ago when we were on our way home from visiting GW's family in Bryan. I had one of those tidal waves hit, but this time it was more like a tsunami. It just got worse and worse. I asked RW to stop the car and let me out. I don't know how I thought getting out of the car would help, but I just wanted out. He stopped the car, and I reached for the door handle. That's the last thing I remembered. Evidently I got the door opened, because I fell out head first. Broke my glasses and cracked my front tooth. By the time RW got around to my side of the car, the man in the car behind us had stopped to help. I came to and wondered what I was doing with my head in the gravel. They got me up and into the car. When we got on our way, RW said he wondered if the man thought he had pushed me out. I said I wondered if my rear end was sticking up in the air.
RW has been my rock. He is very protective and supportive. He gives my injections every week. And he always makes sure that he has packed my cooling vest when he thinks I'll need it. I don't know what I would do without him. I am blessed.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
BUTTER CRESCENTS
1 pkg. dry yeast
1 c. warm water (85 degrees)
Dissolve yeast in water in a large mixing bowl.
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 t. salt
Add to yeast and stir well.
4 1/2 c. flour
Gradually add, mixing well.
Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees) for 4 hours.
(It didn't take 4 hours for mine to rise.)
Divide dough into 4 equal parts.
Turn each part onto a lightly floured board.
Knead 4 or 5 times.
Roll into 12" circles.
Brush each circle with 2 T. melted butter.
Cut each circle into 8 wedges.
Roll each wedge beginning at wide end.
Place on lightly greased baking sheets.
Let rise for 1 hour in a warm, draft-free place.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Monday, April 4, 2011
MY TESTIMONY OF FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
I was fortunate to have been raised by Christian parents. I attended Sunday School and church from the time I was a baby. So I learned a lot about God during my growing up years. I became a member of a Baptist church when I was seven years old. I was faithful to attend church when I was in college.
My personality tends toward being a rule follower, so I was never rebellious as some kids are when they are out from under their parents' control. But it is a struggle to be good all the time, and I always felt like a failure when I did something wrong. No matter how hard I tried to follow the rules, I failed. And I always felt guilty and frustrated.
After I married and became a monther, I knew that this was one thing that I just had to get right. So it was when I was 31 years old and the mother of two preschoolers that God finally got my attention and impressed on me that following the rules wasn't the same as having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I'm so thankful that God didn't give up on me. What a difference that relationship with Him has made in my life.
I acknowledged that God alone had the authority and the power to forgive my sins and make me whole. And so Jesus became my personal savior. My relationship with Him is based on His love for me and my trust in Him. It is in no way based on my keeping the rules. It is a love relationship.
Consider the relationship between a mother and her child. She love him unconditionally. It doesn't matter if his ears are too big or his eyes are too close together, if he has no hair or hair that stands on end. He might be the ugliest kid ever born, but to his mother he is beautiful, and she loves him. He is completely dependent on her, and she supplies all his needs.
She nurtures him and sees that he has the best of everything she can provide for him. She teaches him the things he needs to know to survive in this world. She comforts him when things don't go well for him, and she rejoices with him when he succeeds.
That's a picture of God's love for you and me. Whether I was the most rebellious sinner on earth or Miss Goody Two Shoes who tried to follow all the rules, the fact remained that I was completely helpless to fill the void in my life that only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ could fill.
This is a mystery that is hard for the human mind to comprehend. We can only explain it by what has happened to us personally when we surrender our wills and our eternal future to Jesus.
The Bible tells us that all have sinned, and because of this we all deserve to die. But God has provided a gift for us -- eternal life. Even though we are sinners, God's son Jesus died on the cross for us -- to provide the payment for the debt we owe and cannot pay.
We can receive this remarkable gift by admitting that because of our sinfulness, we DO deserve to die; by acknowledging that Jesus DID take our place when He died on the cross; by believing in our hearts that God DID raise Jesus up from the grave to live again; and that He DOES have the power and authority to grant us eternal life; and by asking Him into our hearts and lives.
When we accept these teachings by faith, and we allow God to work this miracle in our lives, we can know that the void that was there is filling up with God's love and acceptance.
God loves us as a mother loves her child.
* He accepts us just as we are, and we are beautiful to Him.
* He nurtures us through His teachings in the Bible. All the wisdom we need is found there.
* He comforts us when things don't go well for us.
* He gives us strength when our weaknesses overwhelm us.
* He give us assurance of His peace when the world around us is in turmoil.
* We are completely dependent on Him, and He supplies all our needs.
My prayer for you is that if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, you will ask a Christian friend to tell you about what Jesus means to her.
If you are already a Christian, I pray that your relationship with Jesus will grow deeper; that you will rely on Him to give you wisdom, comfort, strength, and peace.
That's my daily prayer for myself too.
My personality tends toward being a rule follower, so I was never rebellious as some kids are when they are out from under their parents' control. But it is a struggle to be good all the time, and I always felt like a failure when I did something wrong. No matter how hard I tried to follow the rules, I failed. And I always felt guilty and frustrated.
After I married and became a monther, I knew that this was one thing that I just had to get right. So it was when I was 31 years old and the mother of two preschoolers that God finally got my attention and impressed on me that following the rules wasn't the same as having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I'm so thankful that God didn't give up on me. What a difference that relationship with Him has made in my life.
I acknowledged that God alone had the authority and the power to forgive my sins and make me whole. And so Jesus became my personal savior. My relationship with Him is based on His love for me and my trust in Him. It is in no way based on my keeping the rules. It is a love relationship.
Consider the relationship between a mother and her child. She love him unconditionally. It doesn't matter if his ears are too big or his eyes are too close together, if he has no hair or hair that stands on end. He might be the ugliest kid ever born, but to his mother he is beautiful, and she loves him. He is completely dependent on her, and she supplies all his needs.
She nurtures him and sees that he has the best of everything she can provide for him. She teaches him the things he needs to know to survive in this world. She comforts him when things don't go well for him, and she rejoices with him when he succeeds.
That's a picture of God's love for you and me. Whether I was the most rebellious sinner on earth or Miss Goody Two Shoes who tried to follow all the rules, the fact remained that I was completely helpless to fill the void in my life that only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ could fill.
This is a mystery that is hard for the human mind to comprehend. We can only explain it by what has happened to us personally when we surrender our wills and our eternal future to Jesus.
The Bible tells us that all have sinned, and because of this we all deserve to die. But God has provided a gift for us -- eternal life. Even though we are sinners, God's son Jesus died on the cross for us -- to provide the payment for the debt we owe and cannot pay.
We can receive this remarkable gift by admitting that because of our sinfulness, we DO deserve to die; by acknowledging that Jesus DID take our place when He died on the cross; by believing in our hearts that God DID raise Jesus up from the grave to live again; and that He DOES have the power and authority to grant us eternal life; and by asking Him into our hearts and lives.
When we accept these teachings by faith, and we allow God to work this miracle in our lives, we can know that the void that was there is filling up with God's love and acceptance.
God loves us as a mother loves her child.
* He accepts us just as we are, and we are beautiful to Him.
* He nurtures us through His teachings in the Bible. All the wisdom we need is found there.
* He comforts us when things don't go well for us.
* He gives us strength when our weaknesses overwhelm us.
* He give us assurance of His peace when the world around us is in turmoil.
* We are completely dependent on Him, and He supplies all our needs.
My prayer for you is that if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, you will ask a Christian friend to tell you about what Jesus means to her.
If you are already a Christian, I pray that your relationship with Jesus will grow deeper; that you will rely on Him to give you wisdom, comfort, strength, and peace.
That's my daily prayer for myself too.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
ONCE UPON A TIME . . .
* I made meal plans for 6 weeks and stuck to it.
* I stayed on a diet for more than one day.
* I organized my shoes and kept them neat and tidy for 6 months.
* I wore a pony tail.
* I played high school basketball.
* I took a dance class in college.
* I went to far, far away Africa.
* I adopted a prccious little baby boy.
* I gave birth to a precious little baby girl 11 months later.
* I walked the Via Dolorosa.
* I devised the perfect laundry plan that lasted a few months.
* I rode a camel.
* I taught myself to quilt.
* I wore 3 inch heels.
* I rode a ferris wheel. Never again!
* I taught high school English.
* I went to Paris.
* I kissed the Blarney Stone.
* I "visited" the men's bathroom at the Air Force Academy visitors center.
* I wore a hat to church every Sunday.
* I wore the same dress to both my children's weddings.
*
Thursday, February 17, 2011
46/365
My 12 year old granddaughter plays basketball on a homeschool team. My friend Rubye and I went to Navasota to watch her play two basketball games.
Her team won the first game and lost the second one 31-33.
Even though they lost that game, it was an amazing victory for them. They came from way behind to lose by only two points.
I'm very proud of Pickles and her team. And I absolutely love watching her play.
Monday, February 14, 2011
44/365
Pickles had her 12th birthday
party today.
"Cupcakes" was the theme.
She was so excited to have her
friends come and share the fun
with her.
She had fun opening all her gifts.
Her little cousin gave her a quart
jar of pickles.
This girl loves pickles.
Little girls wearing
aprons enjoyed
decorating cupcakes . . . .
and showing them off.
I was impressed.
What a sweet bunch of girls.
Friday, February 4, 2011
29/365
As I see the images of the rioting in Egypt, I'm remembering what a wonderful time RW and I had when we visited Cairo in 1966. My prayers go out to the people of that troubled country.
28/365
We bought a new Chevrolet Suburban today. Our old white Suburban had 200,000 miles on it, so RW had told me that he didn't want to be on the highway after dark in it in case we had a problem of some kind. That meant we couldn't go see the grandchildren as much, because we often went for the day and came home at night. I hadn't been in a hurry to get a new vehicle, but when he said that, I said, "Let's go get a new one." So we did.
The new car is great, but I miss my old white Suburban
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
THEN AND NOW
A few days ago, I had the occasion to speak with a young man who was having difficulty communicating with his father. (NOT one of my grandsons, by the way.) He and his father seemed to be on different wave lengths and couldn't agree on anything (according to the young man.)
A few days later I saw some chatter on Facebook which included a reference to "blues." I assumed from the context that they were referring to old folks like me. It was all in fun, I know.
But I've been pondering these things since, and have had some thoughts that might be worth exploring.
I suggested to the young man that he consider the differences in the times in which his father grew up and the times in which he's growing up. That can certainly give some clues to consider.
For instance:
Clothing then --
When I grew up in the late 50's and 60's women dressed very modestly.
Women did not wear pants unless they were working in the fields or doing something where they had to climb ladders. Girls could not wear pants to school, so we sure didn't wear them to church. (Note to young people -- I am not being critical here. You will often see me wearing pants in church.) By the 70's, pants on women was beginning to be accepted. However, I remember being shown a note that had been placed in the collection plate at church which decried pants being worn in church by women.
Pregnant women wore two piece outfits with tops that disguised the shape of the babe in the womb as much as possible.
Girls could not wear pants or shorts at church camp. And they had to wear t-shirts over their swim suits if they were swimming with boys, even though swim suits in those days were quite modest by today's standards.
Music then --
Rock and Roll entered the picture when I was in high school. I was not an Elvis fan, but many of my friends were. Ballads were popular back then and were mostly modest in the lyrics. My dad thought rock and roll was from the devil.
Hymns were sung at church. I sang in a quartet with three of my friends and loved the music we were singing.
Communication then --
We had a party-line phone which meant that we shared the line with at least two other families. They could listen in on our conversations with friends if they were sneaky about it. If you had to make an emergency call, you could break in on a conversation and ask to use the line.
We wrote letters. We could hold them in our hands, see the hand writing of a loved one. We could smell the perfumed ones, and keep them in our diaries or scrapbooks.
Technology then --
We listened to the radio in the evenings. My favorite show was Tennessee Ernie Ford.
My family got a television set after I went to college. The picture was in black and white and not very clear at that. Family values prevailed. Married couples slept in separate beds. There was no foul language and very little violence.
Computers were a new thing in the 60's when RW was doing research for his doctorate. They were kept in a large climate controlled room. I remember the punch cards that were put through this gigantic machine they called a computer. Who knew that 50 years later people would be carrying them around in their pockets.
Maybe the things I've mentioned would give a young man or woman an idea of where we old folks are coming from.
FAST FORWARD TO TODAY.
Clothing now --
Immodesty reigns.
Women and girls wear form-fitting pants that leave nothing to the imagination. Pants below the belly button, no less.
Pregnant women wear tight fitting clothes that emphasize the babe in the womb rather than shield it.
Swim suits are mere strings, and you rarely see a girl wearing a t-shirt over her suit.
While l'm at it, let me say that I think we see way too much bosom these days. I shout at the TV everytime I see a TV newswoman with her bosoms hanging out.
Music now --
Let me say up front that I like the praise music we sing today. I like that we have a combination of the old tried and true hymns and the praise music that the younger folks have introduced to us.
But I am concerned about some of the music that even our Christian young people are listening to. I believe that lyrics that contain foul language and violent lyrics contaminate the mind.
Communication now --
Of course, party lines are thankfully a thing of the past. Fewer and fewer people even have land lines. Everyone from elementary students to senior citizens have cell phones.
E-mail has replaced letter writing. Facebook and other social networking sites keep us up-to-date with our family and friends.
Technology now --
I don't even know where to start. I'm still rather illiterate on this subject. Young folks know better than I what should be listed here. I just know that my grandchildren always seem to have a iPhone or an iPad or some other gizmo in their hands. I worry about arthritis in their hands when they're my age.
One more observation. I often think of the scripture that tells us that knowledge will increase in the last days. And I ponder whether I think God was saying this would be a good thing or a bad thing. Just food for thought.
If you stumble upon this blog post, let me know your thoughts on the subject.
A few days later I saw some chatter on Facebook which included a reference to "blues." I assumed from the context that they were referring to old folks like me. It was all in fun, I know.
But I've been pondering these things since, and have had some thoughts that might be worth exploring.
I suggested to the young man that he consider the differences in the times in which his father grew up and the times in which he's growing up. That can certainly give some clues to consider.
For instance:
Clothing then --
When I grew up in the late 50's and 60's women dressed very modestly.
Women did not wear pants unless they were working in the fields or doing something where they had to climb ladders. Girls could not wear pants to school, so we sure didn't wear them to church. (Note to young people -- I am not being critical here. You will often see me wearing pants in church.) By the 70's, pants on women was beginning to be accepted. However, I remember being shown a note that had been placed in the collection plate at church which decried pants being worn in church by women.
Pregnant women wore two piece outfits with tops that disguised the shape of the babe in the womb as much as possible.
Girls could not wear pants or shorts at church camp. And they had to wear t-shirts over their swim suits if they were swimming with boys, even though swim suits in those days were quite modest by today's standards.
Music then --
Rock and Roll entered the picture when I was in high school. I was not an Elvis fan, but many of my friends were. Ballads were popular back then and were mostly modest in the lyrics. My dad thought rock and roll was from the devil.
Hymns were sung at church. I sang in a quartet with three of my friends and loved the music we were singing.
Communication then --
We had a party-line phone which meant that we shared the line with at least two other families. They could listen in on our conversations with friends if they were sneaky about it. If you had to make an emergency call, you could break in on a conversation and ask to use the line.
We wrote letters. We could hold them in our hands, see the hand writing of a loved one. We could smell the perfumed ones, and keep them in our diaries or scrapbooks.
Technology then --
We listened to the radio in the evenings. My favorite show was Tennessee Ernie Ford.
My family got a television set after I went to college. The picture was in black and white and not very clear at that. Family values prevailed. Married couples slept in separate beds. There was no foul language and very little violence.
Computers were a new thing in the 60's when RW was doing research for his doctorate. They were kept in a large climate controlled room. I remember the punch cards that were put through this gigantic machine they called a computer. Who knew that 50 years later people would be carrying them around in their pockets.
Maybe the things I've mentioned would give a young man or woman an idea of where we old folks are coming from.
FAST FORWARD TO TODAY.
Clothing now --
Immodesty reigns.
Women and girls wear form-fitting pants that leave nothing to the imagination. Pants below the belly button, no less.
Pregnant women wear tight fitting clothes that emphasize the babe in the womb rather than shield it.
Swim suits are mere strings, and you rarely see a girl wearing a t-shirt over her suit.
While l'm at it, let me say that I think we see way too much bosom these days. I shout at the TV everytime I see a TV newswoman with her bosoms hanging out.
Music now --
Let me say up front that I like the praise music we sing today. I like that we have a combination of the old tried and true hymns and the praise music that the younger folks have introduced to us.
But I am concerned about some of the music that even our Christian young people are listening to. I believe that lyrics that contain foul language and violent lyrics contaminate the mind.
Communication now --
Of course, party lines are thankfully a thing of the past. Fewer and fewer people even have land lines. Everyone from elementary students to senior citizens have cell phones.
E-mail has replaced letter writing. Facebook and other social networking sites keep us up-to-date with our family and friends.
Technology now --
I don't even know where to start. I'm still rather illiterate on this subject. Young folks know better than I what should be listed here. I just know that my grandchildren always seem to have a iPhone or an iPad or some other gizmo in their hands. I worry about arthritis in their hands when they're my age.
One more observation. I often think of the scripture that tells us that knowledge will increase in the last days. And I ponder whether I think God was saying this would be a good thing or a bad thing. Just food for thought.
If you stumble upon this blog post, let me know your thoughts on the subject.
Friday, October 8, 2010
MATRIARCH
My dictionary defines matriarch as a woman who rules her family or tribe, an aged, dignified woman.
One out of three isn't bad. I am an aged woman. It was brought to my attention, all too profoundly, when I looked in the car mirror to put my lipstick on -- in broad daylight.
I am of course the oldest female in my immediate family, but also in my extended family. There seems to be some sort of responsibility implied in that role.
I feel somewhat inadequate to carry out the role of matriarch in my extended family, simply because I have by temperament been the least assertive of my siblings. I am, however, trying to carry out that role in my extended family by getting my family, my brother's family, my sister's family, and my brother-in-law and his son and daughter-in-law together for Thanksgiving. That's a lot of schedules to coordinate. But I think, and I hope, and I pray that we maybe might be able to pull it off. I hope so. I'm eager to spend time together, to love and share our lives, to share memories and have fun together.
Thanksgiving is a time when we focus on our blessings. My husband, my children, their spouses, and the grandchildren are at the top of my list, closely followed by my siblings and their families.
One out of three isn't bad. I am an aged woman. It was brought to my attention, all too profoundly, when I looked in the car mirror to put my lipstick on -- in broad daylight.
I am of course the oldest female in my immediate family, but also in my extended family. There seems to be some sort of responsibility implied in that role.
I feel somewhat inadequate to carry out the role of matriarch in my extended family, simply because I have by temperament been the least assertive of my siblings. I am, however, trying to carry out that role in my extended family by getting my family, my brother's family, my sister's family, and my brother-in-law and his son and daughter-in-law together for Thanksgiving. That's a lot of schedules to coordinate. But I think, and I hope, and I pray that we maybe might be able to pull it off. I hope so. I'm eager to spend time together, to love and share our lives, to share memories and have fun together.
Thanksgiving is a time when we focus on our blessings. My husband, my children, their spouses, and the grandchildren are at the top of my list, closely followed by my siblings and their families.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
49TH ANNIVERSARY
Forty nine years of wedded bliss is a long time. It's millions of cooked meals, loads of laundry, floors mopped, beds made, closets cleaned, bills paid, papers filed, etc., etc., etc.
But it's also one lifetime companion, two wonderful children, and their terrific spouses, and the six precious grandchildren they've given us. Forty nine years of precious memories.
1961
RW and I were married on August 12, 1962 at the First Baptist Church in Sweeny, Texas. Henry, his brother, and Bobby Wood, his college roommate were his attendants. My sisters, Betty and Pat, were mine.
We had a most exciting honeymoon. Two weeks earlier I had learned that I would have to have surgery to remove an ovary. My doctor told us not to postpone the wedding; just report to the hospital the day after the wedding. So we honeymooned at the Gulf Coast Medical Center in Wharton, Texas. The nurses pampered us, trying to make the most of a most unusual situation. We were given a two-bed room so that RW could stay with me, and they placed a "Honeymoon Suite" sign on the door.
After a week in the hospital and a week at my parents home to recuperate, the doctor released me to travel. So off to Missouri we went where RW enrolled at the University of Missouri to begin work on his doctorate in Agricultural Education.
1962
After that year, we returned to Texas where we both taught school at Hallettsville High School.
RW taught 1 1/2 years, and then was offered a job managing a new poultry facility. I continued to teach at the high school.
1965
RW was contacted by a former classmate at Mizzou about a job in Cameroon. We had no clue where Cameroon was. So we looked it up in an atlas. AFRICA!! At first we laughed. And then we began to actually consider it. And so it was that in May of 1965 we found ourselves in the very backward country of Cameroon.
RW was to be one of a three-member team of agriculturalists who would help the Cameroonian Department of Agriculture make their way into the 20th Century. RW was the poultry specialist. He built a poultry center from scratch; imported baby chicks from the US; and produced chickens to be placed with farmers. The ultimate goal of his project was to get protein into the Cameroonians diet.
While there I taught typing at a Baptist mission school. It was quite an adventure.
For one month between the two years we were in Cameroon, we were able to travel to several countries: Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Greece, Italy, and France.
On the way home we visited England, Scotland, and Ireland.
These country bumpkins never dreamed we would get to see so much of the world.
1967
Back in the United States, we returned to Missouri for RW to complete his degree, which he did in June of 1968.
1968
This was a very special year for us. First, we returned to Texas!! RW began teaching at Central Texas College. But the most special event of that year was the birth of our son, GW. After seven long years of longing for a child, we adopted a precious little boy. He was five days old when he was placed in our waiting arms. He has been, and continues to be, a joy to us.
1969
Another banner year. When GW was eleven months old, God gave us a sweet little daughter.
Our family was complete; our hearts were full, and so was our diaper pail.
1972
I started teaching at Central Texas College. It was fun going off to work with RW, but I soon realized that my heart's desire was to be home with my children. I loved being home with my children. I cried every September when they had to go back to school.
1980's
With GW and Nan in junior high, I went back to college. RW and the kids kept the home fires burning while I commuted to Austin to go to library school at the University of Texas.
After I completed training there, I began working in the CCHS library.
GW graduated from CCHS in 1986 and Nan graduated in 1987. They both went to Texas A&M after high school graduation.
We had great times visiting them there and feeding all their friends on game days.
1990's
What a busy decade. Big changes for the Williams family.
*1990 -- GW graduated from A&M.
*1991 -- Nan graduated from A&M.
*1992 -- Nan and DJ married.
*1993 -- GW and Shan married.
*1994 -- KJ was born.
*1995 -- I retired.
*1996 -- DR and Summer were born.
*1997 -- RW retired.
*1999 -- Pickles and LT were born.
2001
We began having Cousins Camp for our grandchildren. Just last month we had our 10th annual Cousins Camp. RW and I love those kids!! They are so much fun.
2002
Supergirl (named after Grandmom) was born.
Somewhere along the way (I don't remember which year.) I began volunteering at the Hope Pregnancy Center. RW and I believe in this ministry, and even though my contribution is small, I am privileged to be a part of it.
2006
RW and I traveled with the Simpsons and Schnitzes to Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England. It was a wonderful trip with wonderful friends. I sure would like to go again.
2010
Life is so good. Our family has tripled in size. We all get along well together and enjoy spending time together.
We belong to a wonderful church where God's word is taught and preached.
I volunteer at a pregnancy center where the gospel is presented, babies are saved, and lives are changed.
We're looking forward to many more years of wedded bliss.
But it's also one lifetime companion, two wonderful children, and their terrific spouses, and the six precious grandchildren they've given us. Forty nine years of precious memories.
1961
RW and I were married on August 12, 1962 at the First Baptist Church in Sweeny, Texas. Henry, his brother, and Bobby Wood, his college roommate were his attendants. My sisters, Betty and Pat, were mine.
We had a most exciting honeymoon. Two weeks earlier I had learned that I would have to have surgery to remove an ovary. My doctor told us not to postpone the wedding; just report to the hospital the day after the wedding. So we honeymooned at the Gulf Coast Medical Center in Wharton, Texas. The nurses pampered us, trying to make the most of a most unusual situation. We were given a two-bed room so that RW could stay with me, and they placed a "Honeymoon Suite" sign on the door.
After a week in the hospital and a week at my parents home to recuperate, the doctor released me to travel. So off to Missouri we went where RW enrolled at the University of Missouri to begin work on his doctorate in Agricultural Education.
1962
After that year, we returned to Texas where we both taught school at Hallettsville High School.
RW taught 1 1/2 years, and then was offered a job managing a new poultry facility. I continued to teach at the high school.
1965
RW was contacted by a former classmate at Mizzou about a job in Cameroon. We had no clue where Cameroon was. So we looked it up in an atlas. AFRICA!! At first we laughed. And then we began to actually consider it. And so it was that in May of 1965 we found ourselves in the very backward country of Cameroon.
RW was to be one of a three-member team of agriculturalists who would help the Cameroonian Department of Agriculture make their way into the 20th Century. RW was the poultry specialist. He built a poultry center from scratch; imported baby chicks from the US; and produced chickens to be placed with farmers. The ultimate goal of his project was to get protein into the Cameroonians diet.
While there I taught typing at a Baptist mission school. It was quite an adventure.
For one month between the two years we were in Cameroon, we were able to travel to several countries: Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Greece, Italy, and France.
On the way home we visited England, Scotland, and Ireland.
These country bumpkins never dreamed we would get to see so much of the world.
1967
Back in the United States, we returned to Missouri for RW to complete his degree, which he did in June of 1968.
1968
This was a very special year for us. First, we returned to Texas!! RW began teaching at Central Texas College. But the most special event of that year was the birth of our son, GW. After seven long years of longing for a child, we adopted a precious little boy. He was five days old when he was placed in our waiting arms. He has been, and continues to be, a joy to us.
1969
Another banner year. When GW was eleven months old, God gave us a sweet little daughter.
Our family was complete; our hearts were full, and so was our diaper pail.
1972
I started teaching at Central Texas College. It was fun going off to work with RW, but I soon realized that my heart's desire was to be home with my children. I loved being home with my children. I cried every September when they had to go back to school.
1980's
With GW and Nan in junior high, I went back to college. RW and the kids kept the home fires burning while I commuted to Austin to go to library school at the University of Texas.
After I completed training there, I began working in the CCHS library.
GW graduated from CCHS in 1986 and Nan graduated in 1987. They both went to Texas A&M after high school graduation.
We had great times visiting them there and feeding all their friends on game days.
1990's
What a busy decade. Big changes for the Williams family.
*1990 -- GW graduated from A&M.
*1991 -- Nan graduated from A&M.
*1992 -- Nan and DJ married.
*1993 -- GW and Shan married.
*1994 -- KJ was born.
*1995 -- I retired.
*1996 -- DR and Summer were born.
*1997 -- RW retired.
*1999 -- Pickles and LT were born.
2001
We began having Cousins Camp for our grandchildren. Just last month we had our 10th annual Cousins Camp. RW and I love those kids!! They are so much fun.
2002
Supergirl (named after Grandmom) was born.
Somewhere along the way (I don't remember which year.) I began volunteering at the Hope Pregnancy Center. RW and I believe in this ministry, and even though my contribution is small, I am privileged to be a part of it.
2006
RW and I traveled with the Simpsons and Schnitzes to Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England. It was a wonderful trip with wonderful friends. I sure would like to go again.
2010
Life is so good. Our family has tripled in size. We all get along well together and enjoy spending time together.
We belong to a wonderful church where God's word is taught and preached.
I volunteer at a pregnancy center where the gospel is presented, babies are saved, and lives are changed.
We're looking forward to many more years of wedded bliss.
Monday, August 2, 2010
COUSINS CAMP 2010
Our tenth annual Cousins Camp has begun. I can tell because there is a snake in my kitchen . . .
and Nerf guns and bullets everywhere.
After Bible Time with Grandad, we had breakfast sundaes. Lots of good stuff. 
Because of the dark clouds and the wind, we played some games until the sun
and Nerf guns and bullets everywhere.DAY ONE
KJ, DR, and Summer were up very early to go jogging.
When they got back, LT joined them to do a little fishing in the tank.
DR caught this 7 1/2 lb., 26" catfish. It will make some good eating.
After Bible Time with Grandad, we had breakfast sundaes. Lots of good stuff. Cocoa puffs, granola, yogurt, bananas, pineapple, almonds, toasted coconut,
chocolate and strawberry syrup, and RediWhip.
Because of the dark clouds and the wind, we played some games until the suncame out. 
Then they went up into the tree house to begin the painting. They chose to
Then they went up into the tree house to begin the painting. They chose tokeep the maroon color, but paint over the Aggie graffiti.
DAY TWO
Grandad and LT went for an early morning jog. The three teenagers? Still abed.
After a breakfast of blueberry coffeecake, we got our boots on for a scavenger hunt in the pastures.
Grandad gave the cousins a refresher course on using compasses. They had used
them a couple of years ago, but needed to brush up on their skills.
They were divided into two teams. Each had a route that Grandad had mapped
KJ could clear the edge of the pool jumping backwards or on his tummy.
Summer couldn't clear it, but she did make it over.
They had fun playing pool volleyball.
Since today is Sunday, Grandad declared a day of rest. So the cousins decided
They were divided into two teams. Each had a route that Grandad had mappedout. They had to read the compass and then go a certain number of paces to
the next point.
Halfway through they found a cooler with cold sodas. What a relief.
The kids got back from their trek through the pastures and
jumped into the pool, then they had watermelon.
KJ could clear the edge of the pool jumping backwards or on his tummy.
Summer couldn't clear it, but she did make it over.
They had fun playing pool volleyball.
We had lunch at County Seat Restaurant in Lampasas, and supper was make-your-own-pizzas. The kids were very creative cooks.
DAY THREE
No joggers this morning. Everyone slept late.
Then Bible Time and a breakfast of homemade cinnamon rolls. Yummy!
It was great to have all six of our grandchildren sitting with us in the worship
service this morning.
We had lunch at Casa Ole.
Since today is Sunday, Grandad declared a day of rest. So the cousins decidedto watch all three of the Lord of the Rings movies.
They took a dip in the pool between movies.
Supper was breakfast tacos. Then we roasted marshmallows for s'mores.
We made our annual trek to the Topsey Exotic Ranch. We saw birds, different
We had frito pie for supper and strawberry cheesecake for dessert.
We had pig-in-the-blankets and watermelon for breakfast. Because there was 
cut once.
Lunch at Rosa's. Are you counting how many times we are having tacos?
Playing in the pool . . .
and taking a break to read a cookbook. That's our Supergirl.
Grandad's homemade ice cream. He thinks his old fashioned ice cream maker
They took a dip in the pool between movies.
Supper was breakfast tacos. Then we roasted marshmallows for s'mores.
DAY FOUR
We had chocolate chip pancakes, sausage, and bacon for breakfast.
We made our annual trek to the Topsey Exotic Ranch. We saw birds, differentkinds of deer, ostriches, emus, buffalo, a tiger, water buffalo, llamas, and other
assorted animals. The fellow above threw rocks at us.
But what the kids go for is the camel. They love to be scared silly by the stinky
old guy.
We had frito pie for supper and strawberry cheesecake for dessert.A movie and then to bed.
DAY FIVE
Four of the cousins decided to make their beds in the living room. LT had made
a fort on the couch for his bed.
We had pig-in-the-blankets and watermelon for breakfast. Because there was thunder and a chance of rain, we watched a movie, Home Alone 3, and played
board games.
The kids worked on the floor for the tree house.
Measure twice . . .
cut once.
Lunch at Rosa's. Are you counting how many times we are having tacos?
Playing in the pool . . .
and taking a break to read a cookbook. That's our Supergirl.
Grandad's homemade ice cream. He thinks his old fashioned ice cream makeris the only way to make ice cream.
We had hamburgers and hot dogs for supper.
Then into the hot oil. Notice the coffee pot in the lower right corner.
Then you shake them in a paper bag of sugar.
They spent a lot of time trying to catch the ring. They had no problem with
We had hamburgers and hot dogs for supper.
DAY SIX
Campfire doughnuts for breakfast. They're made with canned biscuits. You
pull a hole in the middle and let them rise a few minutes.
Then into the hot oil. Notice the coffee pot in the lower right corner.
Then you shake them in a paper bag of sugar.
After breakfast the kids put on their swimsuits and we headed for Summerfun
Water Park in Belton.
The kids love the lazy river.
They spent a lot of time trying to catch the ring. They had no problem withthe first ring, but getting to the second one was tough.
They like this slide which lands them in the lazy river.
They like this slide which lands them in the lazy river.
A big black cloud came up, and there was a lot of thunder and lightening. The
park closed at 2:30. But we got rain checks and went back the next day.
We had a picnic lunch at the waterpark, and then we went to Bush's for supper.
Four cousins slept in the newly updated tree house. Pickles and Supergirl
opted to sleep in a real bed.
The week went by much too fast. Grandad and I love having our grandchildren
spend time with us. And we love having the chanch to spoil them a little. They
are all great kids. We look forward to the 11th annual camp next summer.
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