On Wednesday, Joy and I took Pop back to Birmingham to see two more doctors about his eyes.  We have been in the process of going from one doctor to another trying to find the answer to his particular situation.  If you remember, these same group of doctors took care of all 3 of my boys…giving Alex and Adam miracles with their vision.  Alex’s surgery was quite straight forward and he didn’t have any trouble.  Adam, on the other hand, had several emergency situations, and had several operations to get his eyes  better.  He still needs 1 more procedure.

So, we knew we were going to the best…it is just a matter of getting the right doctor to diagnose and send you to another doctor and another to finally reach the one who can get the job done.  And, finally, we have done that.  Pop will be having surgery in early November and we have great hopes that he will be able to regain a portion of his vision.

I will not speak of specific doctors in this post.  But some…not all…of the doctors here have failed in several ways.  First in diagnosis, then it treatment, and in prescribing items to assist him.  Friends…ALWAYS get a second opinion!!!

We found through the efforts of Joy’s husband Tommy, that there are quite a number of aids available to help those with poor vision.  Pop was unable to read a newspaper or a book…unable to program his TV or even read a medicine bottle.  In the grocery store, items not directly in front of him could not be seen.  Can you imagine the frustration?  But, with the aids that are available, he is now able to see his medicine bottles to be sure he is correct in dosage, he can read a newspaper even if it is just a column at a time, he can see the pages of a book, and now with his ipad, he can browse the web,,se pictures of his grandchildren and greats, and he can have the Bible read to him, chapter by chapter as he chooses.  All this just with external aids that are available to everyone!

It disturbs me greatly that other people who have low vision are not informed of these aids to keep them involved with the written word.  At The Callahan Eye Foundation, (affiliated with UAB) there is a department called  UAB CENTER FOR LOW VISION EVALUATION.   Here a doctor will evaluate you and show you a room full of aids to help you maintain the life you want to live.  And, if, per chance, you happen to be a veteran, anything you need is provided free of charge!

These are things we never knew.  Even when Alex was struggling so, trying to complete his education, some of these aids would have been such a tremendous help.  But, we didn’t know.  And, no one we saw told us.

If you know anyone in need of vision help…feel free to contact me via email and I can send you phone numbers and other info.  It is so worth checking into.

We had such a lovely time while we were there.  The weather was just beautiful!  It could not have been any prettier.  We were able to have dinner with Ian while we were there…at PFChang…YUMMY!

After dinner, Pop and Ian headed to the Apple store and Joy and I to a dress shop.  Only time for one stop, and home and to bed.  But Joy and I talked till way after midnight.  Catching up and solving problems !

Coming out of the restaurant, there was a tree in front of our car.  The leaves on it seemed to be shimmering in the lights from the parking lot.  I had to take a picture of them.  the other 3 called me ‘crazy’.  But, I like it!

We went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast the next morning.  Again, such good food!  Then Joy and I attempted to squeeze every bit of shopping we could in the 2 hours alloted.  We managed to do a little damage and make a dent in our Christmas list before our 2:00 appointment.

Lovely trees next to drive.  They were so bright against a blue sky.  They were glowing!

Then we headed to the doctor’s center and were there till about 5:00.  So, we got caught in that awful snail’s pace traffic trying to make it out of town…that took another hour or more.  But, we made it home and we all collapsed into sleep.  And, I have rested most of the day!

We love spending time with our Pop…even when it isn’t the most pleasant of circumstances.  We have learned to take advantage of every opportunity to have fun and laugh.  This time…we even got a lesson in antique household equipment.  Out in front of the store was this old-timey washing machine.  (Why this pic is sideways…I have no idea.  I tried to fix it…but, alas…no luck)  When he was a little boy, they had a washing machine like this and he was told to stay away from it.  He didn’t.  Instead, he managed to get his hand caught in the rollers, and did quite a bit of damage to his hand.

And, still today, he wears the scars on top of his hand.  He says he did not play with the washing machine again.  Oh, the hard lessons we learn in childhood.

So, now we will keep Pop healthy for a few weeks and  get him started on his eye drops before surgery.  And, plan a celebration when he is able to see better.

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14

Tomorrow (Saturday) is the Fall Festival at our church.  You are very welcome to attend. starting at 3:00.  Come see me in the face painting area.  Stay for the ‘Trunk or Treat’ and Supper. A concert will follow. I heard that the cutest little monkey around is coming to visit.  I’ll show you a pic if I see him!

That would be…three big boys and one little boy.  And, that would be Adam, Alex, Ian and Little Levi.

Ian was home for the weekend and quite a time was had by us all!  He managed to get much accomplished!  On Friday night, he and his sweet cousin Lori, and Pop all went out to dinner.  They all enjoyed the time together and catching up and reminiscing.

Then, on Sat, he did a little studying, a little visiting, and then our little family all ate together last night.  Of course, the main attraction was Little Levi!  We cooked out for our supper…the traditional Southern, get-together, without too much trouble…hamburgers on the grill!  Delicious!

Ian managed to get in some special ‘Levi time’ while he was here.  And last night, all 3 boys were having such fun together.  God blessed Alex with a better day and he was able to be up with the family last evening.  And, those 4 had a ball together.  Levi doesn’t stand a chance!  Check out these pictures…

                      “Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord.”Psalm 127:3…

                                                                                                      …that would be both big children and little ones!

Today I have been blessed.

You know, there are dreams that we all have.  I am not speaking of dreams that come to you while you are asleep…even though you may dream about your ‘dream’.  Sometimes we just make a wish in passing…and those are real, to be sure.  But, a dream is a deep longing for something you desire to take place.  Disney says, “a dream is a wish your heart makes.”  Mr Webster says a dream is “a strongly desired goal or purpose.”  Dictionary.com defines it this way “to form in the imagination.”  And, my favorite, from the Cambridge English Language Dictionary, “something you want to happen very much but it is not likely ” and “the very best you can imagine.”

Surprisingly, there were many more dictionaries and many more ways of wording the answer to ‘What Is A Dream?”   I think we all have wishes, but dreams are deeper, somehow.  A wish can be fleeting, but a dream requires thinking and imagining, and hoping and praying.  Because, as Disney said, this wish is from the very heart of you.

Since I was in college, I have had a longing for children.  I have wanted to teach them and learn from them.  I have wanted to learn the very best methods of teaching.  I wanted to be the kind of teacher who had an impact on children.  I have some of the best training both in college and denominational through the Baptist Church, and have been fortunate to work with children in some capacity up until I retired.

Through the years, there have been students who have captured a part of my heart that will forever be theirs.  And, I have treasured the wonky pictures, and the wilted flowers from the playground (weeds, really), the sticky piece of candy held tightly in a grubby fist, and the hugs that nearly choked me, and the timid ones that didn’t quite reach all the way round my neck.  And, the older I got, the more precious these things became.  I knew a time would come for me to step away and let someone more energetic and younger take my place.  And, that is the correct order of things.

Along then is when the thought of a grandchild really became a dream.  I loved being with my own 3 boys and playing and teaching them, but these days they are all too old for me to read to, and they  surely wouldn’t fit in my lap anymore.  They weren’t into fingerpaint…it could ruin those Brooks Brothers Shirts.  They had no time for swinging…slowly cutting and eating an apple…or watching a tiny bug scurry around on his journey.  But, a grandchild would.  A grandchild would love all those things and more.  And a DIL would welcome the help!

My friend, Patty, has been and is, kind enough to share her grandchild, Lucy Jane, with me.  We have had many fun adventures together.  We have painted and we have been swimming.  We have made Christmas ornaments and we have decorated my Little House(potting shed) front porch several times.  She has very carefully learned to make pretty good pictures with my camera.  And, now she is helping me as I care for Levi.  I hold dear to my heart the times I spend with her.

My sister, Joy, was blessed with a sweet angel boy, John Thomas.  He has been a delight to have in our family.  He came at a time our family needed healing from the loss of Mom.  Oh, the joy and laughter he has brought to us!  He is walking everywhere, when he’s not running, and he loves his Uncle Adam.  They play very well together.  (You can draw your own conclusions from that last statement!)

But, I wanted my own.  And, NOW was preferable to me!  Fertility issues came into play, and having another child  in the family looked very doubtful.  It was our desire.  It was our hope.  It was our prayer.  It was our dream.  But, months went by, and there was no good news in that department.

I visited the Lifeway bookstore one day, and found myself naturally drawn to the children’s books and music.  I laughed at myself.  My children were grown, I had retired from teaching, and I had no grandchildren.  This was not the area for me to be in.  As I left the department, a CD literally jumped off the shelf, hit me in the head, shook me by the shoulders and said, “Buy me, you crazy lady! Buy me right now!!!”  Well, I was shocked-as you can imagine!  No one else seemed to have heard all the commotion.  I looked at the CD in my hand.

I tried to put it back, but it was as if my hand would not go in that direction.  And so, even though it was not in my budget that day…I knew that CD had to be mine.  And so it was.

I came home and loaded it into my computer and lay back to listen.  Oh. My. Goodness.  The most  beautiful songs…the most beautiful voices.  As I listened, I was moved to tears.  These were lullabies of the most precious kind.  But, not your typical lullabies…these were full of truth.  They were full of the promises of God.  They sang of the true character of God and how He loves us all- young and old.  And, as I lay there and listened, an image formed in my mind of a little boy, sleeping peacefully in his crib, while this music played softly near him.

Today…at around 12:30 pm, my dream came true.

There sleeps that sweet angel boy, tired from playing with Lucy Jane, a tummy full of green beans and peaches and a bottle to go with.  And, over on the side, is my old CD player that I kept on my desk at the preschool, and the music coming out of it is as beautiful as any I would ever desire sweet Levi to hear.  My dream, my prayer, was answered today.  Years after I prayed it…but right on time!

These are the words to the title song on the album…………SING OVER ME.…..BY Bethany Dillon

I live in the wonder of Your love

You rise like the sun in my heart

Even when the night draws near to me

There You are

I will wade in the water of mercy

I will walk in the light of Your will

Whatever should come against me

Teach me to be still

As you Sing over me

Draw me close to rest in Your peace

Sing over me

Oh, sing

Sing of Your unending faithfulness

That knows no doubt or fear

In the face of all that I don’t know yet

Remind me of who You are

You are mighty

You will save

Rejoice over me with singing

You will quiet

By Your love

Glory over me with singing

[available on Amazon and Christian book stores]

"For the Lord your God is living among you.He is a mighty savior.

He will take delight in you with gladness.

With his love, he will calm all your fears.

He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”     Zephaniah 3:17

AMEN

Found a lot of pics from ‘way back’ at Southside Baptist Church.  I have tried to add the names of those I remember.  If I’m wrong or you know the ones I don’t, please add in comments.  These children were filled with fun and smarts and play and potential.  And, most all are fulfilling that potential.  Two are living with Jesus now, and at least one is disabled and homebound.  Some are building careers, some are involved in church work, leading other young people, some are married with children of their own.  These new parents want for their little ones the same thing we parents wanted for them…health, happiness, love.   I pray that they always remember the foundation for life starts in God’s word, and raise their children as they were…learning to live their lives following God’s rules.

This is just a few that I ran across…I have sooooo many more…..somewhere !  Hope you enjoy!

Clarke………Joy, Eloise. Russ, Alex

This picture was made at a Western- themed banquet at SBC.  Phyllis Walker, Mrs. Spinks, Tonja Townsend….the yound man in background is Durwood Skipper.

A beach youth trip while I was Interim Youth Director…

Heather…….Hannah, Karen, Leigh, Leanne…………………..Justin, Adam, Keith, Tyler, Ian

Joseph, Rebekah, Seth………

These girls were at my house for a mission study…around 1979-80…Stephanie, Suzanne, Michelle, Beth,     Adam and Mom

Summer’s over.  For me, at least.  And, now it is straight on into fall.  (Even though the stores have been selling Fall stuff since Valentine’s Day…NOW is the appropriate time to start the Fall sales push.)  How do I know it’s time?  Well, school starting is one reason.  And, the next is, our family had their end-of-summer Birthday Bash!!!  As usual, it was a wonderful afternoon and evening!

We swam for a while, at least some of the crew did.  As usual around these parts, it was hot as blue blazes!  After (almost) everyone arrived, we really enjoyed visiting and catching up.  It had been a while since I had time to sit and visit with Will (Tara’s hubby).  And, then Patty, Joy and I got dinner ready.  Patty and Mike came to be with us, as well.  Don brought in a Boston Butt, chopped, and a Smoked Turkey, that Ian did a masterful job of carving.  He also brought Baked Beans, Slaw, and Homemade Strawberry Shortcake!  I added to that Chips and Spinach Dip, my famous (just with my family) Cheesycornchilitomato Dip, homemade Pimento Cheese, large Fruit Salad with dressings, and Brownies.  Lots of drinks, tea, lemonade,ginger ale, Grapico, Shasta Orange, And the regulars Dr. Peppers, real and diet, cokes, real and diet….and lots of good ‘ole water!  We feasted. We laughed. We had a ball!  And, so fun to have2 babies to watch this year!  Oh, my! How good God is!  And, no one enjoyed it as much as Pop!  We celebrated his 85 th birthday, as well as Adam’s, Mike’s, Patty’s, Tommy’s, Mine, Joy’s, and Ian’s.  We’ll get the rest in the spring.  We missed Lori, but she was feeling bad, she’s been sick several days.  She needed the rest so she could be at work next week.

My boys…Alex, Adam, Ian, Levi…

Here comes Tommy and Pop…

…and Joy…don’t know which is off kilter – Joy or the door…

Hugs all around…again…

A little hot-tubbing…

Someone’s getting tired…and hungry !

Time to eat…

Presents…

More smiles and fun….Adam and John Thomas…

Alas, eyes are getting sleepy, and Will and Tara have a ways to drive…so pull out the car seats, and load ’em up….

And, this Birthday Bash is at an end…

A short night at The Creekhouse, and then a yummy breakfast cooked by the Breakfast Master, himself…

 After breakfast, Ian suggested a swim…which gave he, Don and I a chance to talk a bit.  And, all too soon, it was over.  A hug in the driveway…a honk of the horn at the street and he’s on the way.

And, one more Birthday Bash/ Family Fun Week-end is over.  Nothing to remember but blessings.  Nothing to fret over, nothing to dread.  Even the things that gives us pause, will work out fine.  We know that whatever troubles us will be turned for the good by our Father.  He promised.  Oh, the blessing of a family!

And we know that it is “God who gives us these times of joy.”

Nehemiah 12:43