Here it is January 3…Christmas is past and the new year is here already!  It has been a busy year for us…lots of ups and downs and lots of blessings to count! Here is a little run down of our festivities!

Our season started off, of course, with decorating the house and the porches.  Then we had our annual craft day with John Thomas and Levi.  They were full of crafty ideas and ready to work!  They both made snow houses and ornaments for their trees and to share.  Below: my mantle, using antique boxes, and accents of white…Levi’s tree of red trucks and cars carrying trees.  We have been collecting these since he was 2 and we manage to find new ones every year.  Several he has painted or built himself…then a tree for our new grand baby, Ella, born in November.  Her tree is filled with cuteness all in pink!  Finally, the boys and I after the crafting was done!

Our first gathering was with our complete family.  Oh, how wonderful for us to all get together again.  With Covid standing in our way, we never had a chance to celebrate together last year.  This was at my house, on the Sunday before Christmas, for lunch!

Below: Suzanne and Adam…Lori, Tonja, Tara…Tonja and Adam…Samantha with Baby Ella…Tara and John Thomas.  Then out to the bridge…Just a short walk…Joy and John Thomas…The boys and I acting silly, Levi, Hudson, John Thomas…My sweet sister, Joy and I.

Below:  Adam, Levi and Suzanne had a private meeting with Santa…I took a little day trip to do a little more shopping with Tina and Shirl…and Sweet Hudson posed for lots of pics with Miss Ella.  John Thomas tried out his new kayak on the River…with Aunt Lori along for the ride!

And, it’s Christmas Eve!  Our immediate family all met at Ian and Samantha’s this year.  And, What a blessing…Alex was able to go with us!  They had prepared a light meal complete with fruit cake and pecan pie!  Yummy!  After filling our tummies, we sat and read those precious verses from Luke together and we thanked God for blessing us all this year and adding a new one to our family.  Then on to presents…such lovely gifts from everyone!  Another sweet night to remember.   Below:  Adam, Alex, and Ian with Miss Ella…Adam and Levi in matching shirts…Alex and Hudson…Miss Ella on Adam’s shoulder…My precious daughters-in-love, Samantha and Suzanne, as sweet as they are beautiful…Hudson and Levi posing and playing on their new games!  And our new family of four!

We left early so parents could do what it is that parents do on Christmas Eve…and little boys could get to bed early!

Below:  Levi is all set to welcome Santa in a big way!

And each in our own houses, we spent Christmas day…playing with new toys, figuring out a new phone, testing out fishing lures…planning ways to spend that Christmas cash, or just reading and napping.  No rushing here or there…just a relaxing day!  I heard some of us stayed in our Christmas pajamas all day!!!

To round out the year, on December 30, Don and I celebrate 49 years of marriage!  Joy and Tommy celebrated 46 years on the 28th!

God has richly blessed our family in so many ways.  We thank Him for seeing us through the difficult times, leading us through uncertainty and giving us joy in our hearts through it all.

Wishing you and yours the very best in 2002.  Friendships are what God gives us to help carry out His goodness to us!  Some of us are friends in real life and see each other often.  Some of us have met once or twice, but live far away,  some of us are friends who live in other countries, and some of us are friends who have never met…only online.  Isn’t that a wonderful thing?  Feeling a kinship with those you only know through the WWW.  It’s the body of Christ…the family of God.  Thank you for your friendship and love!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Just a tad under 60 miles from Dothan, there is lies the little town of Bainbridge, Georgia.  It is such a lovely little town, very old, with brick paved streets, a town square right out of a Hallmark movie, delicious restaurants, and some fabulous shopping!

How do I know this?  My friend Tina and I set off early yesterday morning and our other bestie, Shirl, set off from her home in Moultrie, Ga.  We are about the same distance away from our destination for the day.  And oh, my! the Lord gave us the most glorious day.  Just a hint of coolness and plenty of sunshine!

Bainbridge has done an excellent job of using their downtown area to entice shoppers and browsers to visit.  There are plenty of tables set up in the square and we saw quite a few people taking their lunch breaks under these grand old trees.  We ‘borrowed’ one of them to snap this picture!

There is a wide variety of shopping venues here.  My sister, Joy, had brought me over here several years ago to visit a neat little gift shop.  It was amazing, but I had no idea all the other places that were here.  Shirl and Tina had been before, so they kinda knew the ‘lay of the land’.  To me…it was a treasure hunt!

We had lunch at a well know restaurant on the square, The American.  Delicious!

After a yummy meal and a heart to heart catch up that only the best kind of friends can have, we set out to explore more of the goodies just waiting to be found!  And we are ‘mighty hunters’…yes, we are!

Shirl and Tina found these great ponchos in a little boutique.  Yes there were three of them…however, due to my lack of height, I looked like a hobbit!  So, a ‘no’ for me…but they were perfect for them!  Aren’t the colors just perfect for jeans and boots?

After finding a few sweets to restore our strength, we browsed a little more,,,found a few more treasures…and decided to call it a day!  We wanted to get home before dark.  We split up the packages, exchanged our personal gifts to one another, and set our sights toward home.  Tina and I one direction, Shirl, the other.

We all have our definitions of what a friend really is.  And, each friend plays different roles in our lives.  God put these two ladies in my life so many years ago because He knew they were going to be with me through thick and thin.  He knew I need their guidance, their prayers, their acceptance and love.  I am forever grateful for this gift that  makes me a better person.

Not to be flippant or glib, but yesterday, I was rescued.  Not a big thing in world happenings, for sure.

But, in my own little world, it was a biggie!

Due to Covid, my health, my son’s health, I try to combine as many things I need to do when I leave my house!  And, this was my plan yesterday.  However,  it was not meant to go that way.  I left home in time to be at Hobby Lobby when they opened at 9.  Then I had things to purchase at Eagle Eye, then to Belk if I moved quick enough…a fast lunch in the car and I was leading a  craft project for Levi’s fifth grade class at Providence at 1:00.  That would end my day and Levi was coming home with me for a few hours after school.  A pretty good use of my time, I thought.

First of all, Levi came for breakfast…which he does two or three mornings a week,  Then we take him to school.  Don is the one who does the cooking while I am free to interact with the grandson.  Yesterday morning, Don was really tired and just needed some more sleep.  No problem.  Even I…with my poor repertoire of culinary talent…could easily manage 2 eggs, bacon, 2 slices of whole wheat toast and a glass of milk.  So I fixed breakfast while the young man searched diligently under the Christmas tree for any and all presents with his name… comparing the numbers and sizes with others found there.  It is disturbing him most greatly to know that the biggest present under the tree is not even labeled with a name at all!  It is just sitting there, filled with all sorts of wonder and nobody…NOBODY…know who it belongs to.  It is a puzzlement!

Back to the story…After breakfast, I took Levi, in my car, up the road less than a mile to school…went through the car line…got my “I love you, Lulu” and off he went.  And, I came home.  Thinking again of the schedule I had laid out for my self, I hurried to the shower.  Got ready, dressed, changed purses, gathered my necessities, and back to the car.  Don was still sleeping.  (Which was good…I, for sure, did not want him shopping with me…I learned early in my marriage that we would never, ever need to plan that activity as a chore to do together if we wanted said marriage t0 continue!

In my car, back down my lane to the main road.  When I drove onto the main road, 3 of my tires did their thing…one did not!  I knew immediately what it was.  But I had to get off that road…bad to be stuck on the road there.  I turned around quickly and got back to my little lane and stopped.  I got out and looked around the car…my assessment was correct.  I called Don.

Now this little glimpse into my life is all due to what transpired after he answered the phone.  Don, I have a flat tire.   A FLAT TIRE?  ARE YOU SURE?  Yes  WHAT DID YOU RUN OVER?  No idea.  OK. I’LL GET DRESSED AND BE RIGHT THERE.

And he did.  He drove up in about 15 minutes and asked me again what I had run over.  (I mean, isn’t that the dumbest question ever? Our cars roll over miles  of pavement and rocks and goo all day long.  Do you know what you run over?)  He told me to turn on my flashers and to get into his car.  He took me home and came back and removed the tire and took it to the tire store and had to replace it because it was ruined.  probably because I got off that dangerous road to safety.  New tire…$$$.  He brought it back to the car and put it on the car and came to the house to pick me up and take me to my car which was now ready to roll on all 4 tires!  It was past 12:30 and my appointment at the school was at 1:oo.  I made it with ten minutes to spare!

So, this is just a shout out to my knight in the black pick-up.  He did it all without complaining…without making me feel like I had messed up  ( except for that asinine question)  and got me to where I needed to be.  He did the hard work of fixing the situation, I just sat at home and read my new novel while I waited….(I mean I wasn’t dressed to do housework!).  He knew what to do…where to go…and that I had to be on time.  So Kudos to my hubby.  You probably score another present under the tree for your kind handling of all that!

You are my protector and fixer of things that go wrong in my life.  You try daily to smooth the path in front of me, even though I tend to follow another path entirely.  But, I appreciate and love you!  Always.

This post is to honor my son Alex Townsend Owens’ 40th birthday!  This is my middle son.  Alex was a delightful child.  His imagination was expansive and he could entertain himself for hours. He was longed for for many years before he arrived. He was, unfortunately, born into a family of medical issues,  between a brother who was fighting cancer and a brother who was born with facial birth defects and heart issues.

Alex stayed healthy while we dealt with those issues of his brothers, Adam and Ian. He began having severe headaches around the age of 5 with unusual visual disturbances.  We searched for medical intervention in several places.  But to no avail.  Finally around the eighth grade, he had an episode of double vision, and ataxia, the ability to move forward in a straight line.  He had to hold on to objects to keep his balance.  This happened while he was at school and was very frightening.

Again we searched the country for information.  We have been to doctors and clinics in Boston, in Dallas, in Mississippi in Birmingham.  Finally, we got a diagnosis at the University of Michigan, which has a program of research into his rare disease.  He was diagnosed with OLIVOPONTACEREBELLAR ATROPHY – very rare and never seen in a child previously. There is an area of the brain called the cerebellum.  Many nerves flow from this area including the optic nerves and nerves related to balance and motor skills.  On Alex, part of this area had atrophied.  Alex quickly became more affected and was only able to finish high school through homebound classes.  He was a graduate with the Class of 2000.

This man turns 40 years old today.  His life has been filled with pain and sickness since that day in 8th grade.  He has had several surgeries on his eyes through the years, and was able to get fairly decent vision for a time.  However, he now is legally blind and only has vision in one eye due to macular degeneration.  His pain comes from severe head and neck issues and he must walk with assisstance. His fine motor skills have remained intact  and we thank God for that.  His intelligence has only soared through the years, as he is a voracious reader and studier of the world agenda. He is well versed on most any subject.  This disease causes no loss of cognitive skills.

He has become an important force in his nephew’s life.  Alex has always loved to teach and explain the way things work, and he has had a willing student in Levi.  They, along with Levi’s dad, Adam, and his Uncle Ian, have a massive interest in Star Wars.  The four of them can tell you way more than I can even imagine.  They can discuss it for hours!  Alex is very interested in technology and has also passed this love to Levi.  The two of them can discuss and play video games for days!

Through the years Alex has missed out on so many things.  His disease can keep him bed bound for days upon end.  He and his dog, Finn, pass the time listening to books and music or TV.  Alex especially loves documentaries.  He is well up to date on politics, the culture and public relations.

it is seldom he is able to leave the house for social events or family time.  So much of his time is spent alone.  He has his own apartment attached to our home and is as independent as he can be.

The amazing thing about Alex is his heart and his spirit.  This life he was given is no picnic.  He fights every single day.  There is never a day he is without pain and never a day he can just walk in the yard with out aid.  All the things we take for granted, are kept from him by this insidious disease.  It is hard for him to go about even daily tasks like showering and food preparation.  Nothing is easy.  But, God has been overly gracious to provide Alex with a gentle, kind spirit.  He never complains.  He never fusses.  He is always kind.  Always ready to add an encouraging word.  Always offering to help in any way he can.

Alex has great faith in God.  He trusts Him as his personal Savior and trusts Him for his daily needs.  God has been so gracious to us to allow us to provide for all of his needs and extras along the way. His daily medication is a continuous battle with insurance companies.  But, never has he had to go without.  God keeps every promise!  Our family believes that God Has a purpose in all things.  While we may never understand on this earth…He knows.  And, because of His goodness and His promises…we know that Alex’s life is in His constant care.  We are blessed by him as part of our family.  And we are sure of his healing in God’s timing.

On the very rare occasion he feels like leaving home….everything else stops and we all SEIZE THE DAY!.  Recently he was able to fish a little with Ian and Don.  What fun they had!  In the midst of trials and hard times, there are such lessons to be learned.  We fail, if we don’t search the circumstances and find the knowledge to be gained and treasure the joy in the moment!

We have no idea how this disease will play out for Alex.  The progression seems to be at a standstill for several years.  But, we will not worry or fret.  God has proven himself over and over to us.  He loves our Alex more than any of us can.  His Dad and I and his brothers and their wives and Levi will always be available for Alex.   He has a dear aunt, uncle and cousins who adore him.  He is surrounded by a support group who rally whenever needed.

On a personal note…Alex is a my hero.  He patterns for me daily how to walk in kindness and gentleness.  He shows me how to accept what is and deal with it in a compassionate and loving way.  He is a great man, full of wisdom and courage and honesty and grace.  On this his 40th birthday, I honor him as the gentle place I can always count on.  I thank God he was born into our family.  We all have learned great lessons in living from him.  Happy Birthday, Alex.  You are loved forever.

Today I am a 13 month breast cancer survivor.  I have gone from the shock of diagnosis…through the pain of surgery…and the burning of radiation.  I am now living with very unpleasant side effects from the oral chemo I will take for 4 more years.  My recovery has been hindered by blood clots which are still occurring.  But, Praise God, I am doing this!  He has allowed me to have a most favorable outlook and I am beyond grateful!

Prior to my discovery, I had gone for 4 years without a mammogram.  The only word for that is STUPIDITY!  I used to have them every year, but had sort of slacked off.  I let it slide, thinking that Breast Cancer would not happen to me!  Well, when my GP found out, he set one up for me immediately.  And, that is when I got the bad news.  The tumor was still very small and well contained.  Pure luck?  No, God’s providence! What if I had not heeded my doctor’s advice?  What if I had put it off again?  Let’s face it…it’s not the most pleasant procedure to have.  But, I have had three mammograms and three ultrasounds since diagnosis.  I will never skip it again!

I urge you to make your appointment TODAY!  Do not wait.  Don’t think it can’t happen to you…IT CAN!  This sheds a whole new light on possibilities for my sister and my nieces and my granddaughter (coming soon).  They have to be more aware now.  Think of the other women you are blood relatives with.  Would you do anything you could to keep them safe?  Of course you would!

It’s not really that uncomfortable a procedure.  To be honest, it has been never bothered me before my diagnosis, but it is a little painful now.  Small price to pay for me to be around to see my boys and their families., continue to enjoy their lives, to love on my grandchildren and to spend time with Don…our 50th anniversary is next year!

Please consider this an honest and heartfelt plea to get your mammogram!  May God bless you greatly!