Tonja's Gatherings - A Christian Blogger from Dothan, AL
  • Home
  • About
  • Affiliations
  • Awards
  • Links
Home
About
Affiliations
Awards
Links
Tonja's Gatherings - A Christian Blogger from Dothan, AL
  • Home
  • About
  • Affiliations
  • Awards
  • Links
General

WISH I COULD BE THERE….

October 24, 2015 by tonja 6 Comments

Dear Linda,

Yesterday I went back to the doctor to see about my knee.  The meniscus is not torn…but there is no cartilage there anymore.  And it has severe oseoarthritis in is.  You can imagine my delight when he said this will entail a new knee.  I do so love new things!  He went on to say, however, that he thought we may could put it off for a while by going the route of shots!…steroid and rooster…ROOSTER?  Anyway, I don’t remember what else he said for a few minutes when he came at me from one way with a needle and the nurse came at me the other way with some kinda spray voodoo medicine.  “Don’t jump!’ he says.  “Jump?” I thought.  “My plan was on running!  But they sorta hemmed me in!

Of course, I must tell you I was horribly embarrassed.  He asked me to roll up my pants leg…OVER my knee.  Well that was like trying to pull an old pillowcase off a nice new overstuffed pillow!  He watched while I contoured  and pulled and twisted.  These pants are designed to be entered from the foot section and pulled up over the hips…there is no leeway for rolling them up to make shorts out of them!!!I finally got it past my knee.  However, he pointed out we better hurry and get that shot done cause my leg from the rolled up pants leg down to the foot was slowly turning a lovely purple!  Oh!  I did shave my legs in the shower before I went to the doctor.  But, I didn’t remember to rub some lotion on that sad old, dry donkey skin!.  So on top of everything else, it looked like a little private snowstorm had fallen all over my skinny legged BLACK jeans when I eased them them back down, ever so gingerly trying to bypass that hole he left on the right side!

It was at this point, being the oh so observant man that he is,  he asked about why I had a brace on my other foot.  So, I went into the saga of the two years of ACHILLES TERROR that I had suffered with my ankle.  He suggested, after I told him all Doctor ONE had done with little results, that I see Doctor TWO.  I told him it felt so much better when I was hobbling on a toe to knee cast or wearing the lovely space cadet air boot.  “Oh, yes”, he exclaimed, “It’s time for you to let Doctor TWO look at it.  Sound as if they need to remove the tendon from the back of the heel and scape it down from the back of the leg and do some witch doctor magic on it!  It is pretty involved surgery..but that’s the point you are at now.  I’ll just get my nurse to get you in to see him next week!”

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but I was able to hold it together and hobble to my car.  I immediately got in the front seat, rolled the window down, and “Had A Little Talk With Jesus.”  I didn’t get a very sympathetic vibe from him though.  Thoughts kept coming to me that I was 62, and I was forcing my legs to work harder with this little , bitty tad of extra weight I was carrying around, and I had better get busy getting things in order if I wanted to escort Levi down the aisle one day at his wedding….if there is every a girl good enough!

 

I had lunch and ran an errand.  Then I came home and got out my clothes to wear to the breakfast and the shopping with the Sunday School girls tomorrow.  I was determined that I was going to go to bed early and rest this throbbing knee, so I could be fresh as a daisy tomorrow for the good time we were certain to have!

I decided to get off my feet around 5:00 and check FB and email.  (Notice the time I sent you the message that I’d be there in the morning.)  I fixed myself a glass of tea and got an aspirin for my knee.  Had my computer in my lap, and no reason to move for an hour or so.

After several minutes, my gaze fell around the room, and I noticed my closet light was on.  Well, you know my dear hubby.  He is such a fine upstanding man and provides so well for us.  He really doesn’t complain about all the things he COULD.  However , lights being left on is not something he is good with.   Now, sometimes I don’t even notice until he brings it to my attention…being as how I am blessed with the scattered brain that I am…but today I saw it and knew I needed to turn it off.  It was really not bothering me in the least, but I didn’t want to give him any grief.  So I went over to turn it off.

de0079d8cf4d99359795c8a18cc3e098

I woke up about 30 minutes later.  Not where I should have been resting, but on the floor wedged between my piano and the painting table.  I  vaguely remember leaning over some toys I had moved to one side.  Things Levi had outgrown.  I was going to put them away…IN the closet…but I have to do these things slowly, because the boy knows when one thing in his stash has been removed from play.  So, I let him get used to being in another place and slowly it disappears into the never,never land at the back of the closet.

I had found my self in this situation when I woke up.  I think I hit my head on the piano bench.  I was lying face down with both elbows under me as if I was getting ready to consider the possibility of maybe trying to do a push up.  Yeah!  Fat chance!  Anyway one elbow was bleeding and my left knee where the doctor had gouged a hole earlier in the day was whimpering slightly.  But , my left hip and around to my sit upon was screaming at me that I wasn’t playing fair!  I lay there a minute, breathing hard, and wondered what to do.  I really was afraid to move by myself..  So, I called Alex…who lives DOWN the hall…past the door to his apartment…past the door to his bedroom….Both closed by the way!  Plus he had a book on tape playing.  He never heard a thing.  Finn did…but not Alex.  Then I wondered if Adam was working and could I call him if I was really hurt.  But, no, he would be so totally embarrassed to have to come into this this toy strewn and paint everywhere studio and rescue his mother.  My phone was too far away or I would have called Don.  No, this was a job for no one but me!  So I eased my legs to one side and tried to bend my knees to begin getting up.  They worked OK,  however the hip was not in a getting up mood.  I needed to move my arms to push up…but the bloody one said, “No thanks”.  So , Linda I could not really tell you exactly how I got up, but I did.    It appeared nothing was broken.  Even my loudmouth hip.

And, then I saw what had caused me to go me to go on this little journey.  In a corner, beside the things I was slowly letting disappear…a sweet little man had set up  a construction site.  We’re talking backhoes and dump trucks and caterpillars and all manner of things to build a new shopping center with.  As it turns out, Levi and I have been closely watching two construction sites as we travel to school and home each day.  We are even making pictures of the trucks and the different things the big rigs do.  Then we are going to make us a book about construction!  We even have talked about how sometime the builders have to get their trucks into tiny spaces and clears things away before they can begin building.

Why do I feel the need to explain things so throughly to him?   Why do I try to give him all these experiences of what is going on in the world ?  I don’t know. But, I know for sure that he had found a little space to clear and and soon a shopping center was going to be built in the front of the door to my closet.  And, since someone not too smart had put the light switch behind the center of the piano, I had to lean over the construction site AND the toys headed to never land, and try to smack down that light switch with the tips of my fingers!

It didn’t work.  So, here I am on the daybed in the studio lying where I have been since bout 5:30 last evening.  I did manage to get the pants off my legs…but I have pretty much stayed in one position all evening and night.  I know this is true because I have watched The Young and The Restless on dvd, The Shark Tank, 2 hours of beauty tips on QVC (Argon oil is quite a thing now), an hour of Christmas lights and decor on HSN, O’Reilly, and every commentator that has opinion on HOHO Clinton and all her mess, and a few cartoons thrown in for good measure…also a rerun of The Big Bang Theory,and an old episode of The Golden Girls and a few episodes of Flea Market Flip and House Hunters.  What I’m saying here is I haven’t slept any.  Nada.

My hip has a bruise the size of Georgia and my elbow is still whining, and my head has a knot on it.  But I guess there is a silver lining to everything.  Perhaps I can hobble out to Don’s truck at some point and put together something for Trunk or Treat tomorrow evening at church!

Oh well, the ‘best laid plans’ and all that.  Y’all, please have fun for me!  I’ll miss you!

Love, Tonja

c1de73b5df4c14aec6e74399086f38d0

 

Share:
Reading time: 8 min
General

THE SHOPPING CART

October 16, 2015 by tonja 2 Comments

It appears in front of me once again.  Filled to the brim with the oddest assortment of ‘stuff’.  Cornmeal, yogurt in little pouches, 2 pints of chocolate milk, and a 1/2 bag of carrots!  Yesterday it was a canister of rolled oats, a jar of peanut butter, a bottle of pancake syrup, a canister of chocolate bars, and a box of rice.  Last week it contained a box of aluminum foil, squeeze bottle of mustard, a box of macaroni, a loaf of bread and a can of peas.

When Levi was just beginning to walk, he went with me to The Dollar General store.  There was a plastic grocery cart that he immediately latched onto.  He was in heaven!  He pushed that little cart for all he was worth…filling it with various things that were within his reach.  When time came to go, he was heartbroken over having to leave that cart in the store.  I’ve never seen him before or since carry on about wanting something so bad.  In fact, I felt so bad for breaking his little heart, that when he left to go home, I went back to the store and bought him one.  In a box.  Brand new.  It was very cheaply made…I hoped it would last.  If not, I could buy a well made one from the toy store.

I wanted to put it together, so he would see it when he came the next day.  There it was…purple basket, orange undercarriage, and turquoise wheels!  All the parts were there and soon it was together!  I could hardly wait for him to see it and push it and gather things in it!  I could just imagine the look on his face.  And, him coming to me and saying, “Lulu, you are the best!  Thank you for this wonderful cart.  Thank you for giving me my heart’s desire!  I will love you forever!”   Well, it wouldn’t sound like that, because he couldn’t talk then, but I would be able to read the emotion behind his eyes!  I set it in the middle of the studio and waited for the next morning.

He came in the door and gave me a big hug as always.  Then into the studio he went.  He saw the cart and went straight to it.  Not a word was spoken.  He took it by the handle and began to push…all the way around the table.  Then he began to fill it up…little cars, colorful blocks, books, balls.  He pushed them around a few times then took them out and refilled it.  Still not a sound.

However, the next sound I heard was plenty loud enough!  It was a cry of despair.  I looked up quickly and there he was…and there was the cart.  But, the cart was now in 3 pieces!  He was heart broken.  I rushed to see what I could do.  Nothing was broken…pieces would just not fit together anymore.  What was supposed to fit inside of another piece was either too big or too small. I’m guessing it was fine until he put too much in it and then it collapsed.  I told him I would get him another one.  He cried louder.  And louder.

And, so, being the resourceful Lulu that I am, I got out the duct tape.  That will fix anything.  Unfortunately, all I happened to have was a roll that had a big checkerboard design on it.  Not to worry, it would hold it together long enough for me to get a new cart.

20151016_153510~3 I taped for a while and he waited and watched.  And, soon he was on his way again.  Happily filling it up with strange pairings of objects, taking them for a spin around the studio, and putting them back.

He was barely two when that cart came to live at our house.  He has pushed it every. single.  day.  After the duct tape surgery, it has held up remarkably well.  Never even offering to come apart again.  It has carried small loads and big loads.  It has carried items that make sense being carried and those that don’t.  It has waited patiently for a little boy’s whims to hit and has been ready to partner with him in his escapades.

About a year ago, he began grocery shopping.  Because the shelves in my pantry go to the floor…and his legs have gotten longer…he can imagine he’s in a real grocery store.  And, he goes grocery shopping every day he’s at my house.  I am the grocery clerk, of course.  And he is the shopper.  He says I have to welcome him to the store.  Then after his shopping, I ask him if he found all he needed.  He always does.  Then we check him out, he uses his credit card, and I bag the groceries.  Then I remind him to drive safely and remember to put all the groceries away in the pantry when he gets home.  You know…he always does, too.  Well, they’re in the pantry…not always on the right shelf.  (Can you spy his credit card in the cart?  An old motel key card works great!)

And, the grocery cart…held together with duct tape…will then sit quietly until the mood to shop strike again.  Or until Olaf, and Mickey Mouse, and the orange frog get ready to go for a ride.  Or until his 5043 little cars decide they want to race in the den.  It is probably the thing he plays with more often than anything else he has!  I have never been able to bring myself to get a new one.  That sad little cart has become a fixture in our play.  And, we both love it…just as it is.

LESSONS LEARNED:

We don’t need to be the prettiest or fanciest to get the job done.

Broken things have their own beauty.

 

 

 

Share:
Reading time: 4 min
Faith, Family, General, Photography, Remembering

BOOGALOO CAMP…2015

June 16, 2015 by tonja 3 Comments

The first annual BOO-GA-LOO CAMP is history.  But, history that is bound to be relived and talked about for a while to come.  Because family is so important and I don’t get to spend as much time as I would like with mine…I decided that the big girls and the little boys would have a special few days together.  Why ‘Boogaloo’, you may ask?  Well, it had to have a name.  And, the Boogaloo (bugaloo) is a fast paced dance with wild, crazy movements…. and with these little guys around, we ‘re nothing if we are not fast, wild and crazy!  So Boogaloo it is.  I also changed the spelling to my liking…because I don’t want it called the ‘bug’aloo camp.  Cause bugs…not invited!

Joy and I arrived a day early to rest and reserve our strength for what we knew was going to be a wild weekend.  We were wise to do so!  However, I did have one small project for us to do.  We bought pavers and sorta/kinda laid a walkway between the house (The Sandcastle) and the trailer (The Flamingo).  We had to wait until it was almost dark for it to be cool enough for us to work outside.   And, late afternoon…prime mosquito time!   It wasn’t exactly perfect …but it worked well enough that the boys did not have to walk through the sand spurs to go back and forth.

The crew arrived and the first order of business was discussing all the activities that were to follow. Oh, yes!  Arts and crafts, swimming, sunning, bumper boats, story time, water fun, go carts, and donuts, of course!  We blew up a big pool for the boys to play with their new water squirters and boats and cars.  While we girls sat around and visited.

20150604_144552

 

 

20150604_202045~2

 

20150604_201956~2

 

After a meal out, we turned in…praying for a sunny tomorrow…with NO rain!  The next day was our planned time on the beach.  And, wow! we could not have ordered a more gorgeous day.  Perfection!.

20150605_121836~2

 

20150605_121039~2

 

20150605_120938~3~2

 

20150605_120234

 

20150605_115738~2

 

20150605_101759~2-2

 

 

18894_10103242900298875_2386700067944354204_n

 

The boys and girls rode the waves, gathered shells, and floated in the glorious ocean under a blazing sun!  Joy and I sat in the shade of a giant umbrella and enjoyed the show!  Back at the Sandcastle, we got in a little art work.  Painting, stamping, building boats…puzzles, cars, and games.

20150604_164125

 

20150604_162943~2

 

20150607_091445

 

20150604_171450~2

 

Levi even got a lesson in Solitaire from Aunt Joy!

20150604_165835

 

After a night’s rest, we were up and ready to go again…this time to the Water Park.  Oh, the boys love it here!  There are fountains popping up from the ground to run through and glorious misters to stand in.  The kid’s pool is only 2 feet deep and it is huge!  There’s 2 slides and all sorts of water fun.  There is also an olympic sized pool with obstacles to run.  And around it all are ledges for the older folks to rest…’cause the little boys don’t stop when they get there…until it’s time to eat.  Also lots of covered picnic tables to escape from the sun for a while.

20150606_133859~2

 

20150606_130437~2

 

20150606_121855~3-2

After a little rest, we went to a wonderful place to eat…Boondocks.    After dinner came go-cart time!  This was our promise to Levi.  And, then we had to scout out some shells.   This was our promise to John Thomas….he has a shell collection…and there really aren’t many to be found on the beaches.  Found a great place, and the boys were going strong.  Joy and I, however, were fading fast.  So we switched up cars.  They went for ice cream and Joy and I went back to the Sandcastle.

Plans were to head to the beach for some crab hunting, but Levi came in the house in his Mother’s arms…already deep in dreamland.  So that’s on our list for next year!

20150606_161407

 

20150606_105039~2

20150606_105142~3~2

20150607_110032~2

 

20150606_154726

 

20150606_165932~2

 

20150606_103234~2

 

20150605_085903

 

20150606_163405

The crew left out by noon on Sunday.  But Joy and I needed a day to recuperate.  They all left and by 2:00 we were both napping!  Revived, we did a little shopping, a little visiting, and a little eating.  We finished cleaning the next morning and were home early afternoon.

What an amazing few days together we had! Time focused just on family and fun.  And building memories for the boys.  I think both boys were sad their dads were not along.  It makes me happy that Will and Adam spend such quality time with their sons that they want them along wherever the fun is!  Such good daddies! But, this trip was for us girls!

We are so thankful that God granted us these days to laugh, and read and sing and dance and play and swim and rest at night!  God is good to us and His blessings can never be counted.  It is He who established the family.  And, it is He who blesses ours.

Share:
Reading time: 4 min
Family, General, Remembering

ADAM…An Album

June 3, 2015 by tonja 4 Comments

Born to Donald and Tonja Owens…Adam Ryan Owens…6/3/75…9 pounds! Scan 5 Joy's Wedding owens1 - Copy with Poph with Don with Mom..6 flags copy riding at Granny and Pop's Disney World 3   Skateboarder at PCB SR.pic...SBC aro2 wedding day DSCN0056 Boondocks 6

 

Boondocks 1

 

SC 13

My eldest, my heart…you have struggled and overcome.  You have the kindest soul and a genuine love for those who are suffering.  You help these people everyday with courage and wisdom and compassion.  This mother’s heart overflows with happiness.  I am so proud of you.  What a fine husband you are, a loving father to Levi, and a blessing to all of us in the family.  I love you.  Happy 40 th!

Share:
Reading time: 1 min
Faith, Family, General, Photography, Remembering

A GATHERING OF MOMS

May 9, 2015 by tonja 1 Comment

There are wonderful mothers in most families,,,mine included.  These are the women who help lay the groundwork for the way you were raised.   Much of what you and your grandchildren are taught to respect and hold dear, comes from the mothers who have moved on to another place.  I can joyfully say these women who have physically left this earth are in heaven and waiting for me to join them there.  How blessed I am to come from such a legacy.  Here then is a gathering of the mothers who helped shape me.

My mother’s mother…Annie Mariah Tew Merritt….when I was just a baby…

 

 

 

merritt7 - Copy

 

Here she is a few years before she passed away…Granny Merritt…

 

merritt17

 

Here is the sweet mother of my Daddy…  Ester Lillian Hallman Townsend…..Granny T…

 

 

 

Townsend13

 

And this is a picture of Don’s Daddy’s mother…she passed early in our marriage…Ola Owens…

 

IOLA OWENS

 

 

Sitting with my young boys is my mother in law and Don’s mother Sarah Elizabeth Meadows Owens…..

 

Owens6

 

 

Elizabeth Owens…she was a kind and gentle soul who loved her Lord and her family greatly…..

 

1996

 

 

Here is my mother a day after I was born…Elosise Merritt Townsend….

 

 

tonja8

 

 

With me, ready for church….

 

tonja33

 

With her grandchildren, Ian,Lori, Alex, Adam, Tara, who learned and loved so much from her…

 

b'day...87

 

With Joy and I on one of our fun trips together…

IM000314.JPG

 

 

My beautiful mother, whom I miss every day….

 

15A

 

 

Joy and I holding our precious grandsons….Levi Hampton Owens, and John Thomas Bush

 

14

 

My Sister, with her children…Joy Annette Townsend McKibben with Lori and Tara

 

20141225_163207

 

Me, with my children…Tonja Lynn Townsend Owens…with Alex, Ian, Adam…

 

Mom and boys  SBC cook out   copy 2

 

20141226_230119

 

And the next generation….Tara Suzanne McKibben Bush with John Thomas

 

20150329_152032

 

 

Suzanne Michelle Horne Owens with Levi…

 

20150323_142529-1

 

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Share:
Reading time: 1 min
Page 22 of 300« First...1020«21222324»304050...Last »

About Me

about us image

I am a Christian woman who has survived many years on the planet. God has blessed me with a wonderful family: husband, 3 sons, a dear DIL, and a precious grandson. I also have dear friends to keep me inspired. I am an artist of sorts and am finding my way through the great blessing of retirement. I recently retired after 20 years as a music teacher. Life is good!

My Boys

My Boys

"All your sons will be taught by the Lord; and great will be their peace." Isaiah 54:13
Read their stories...
Adam
Alex
Ian

My Parents

My Parents

Me & Don

Me and Don

Gatherings

Links

Follow Me on Pinterest
Tonja Townsend Owens
Tonja Townsend Owens
Dothan Powersports

Topics

  • Decor
  • Decoration
  • Editor's choice
  • Faith
  • Family
  • Friends
  • Front Page Slideshow
  • General
  • HUMOR
  • Interior design
  • Lifestyle
  • Photography
  • Remembering
  • Travel

Calendar

July 2025
S M T W T F S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Dec    

Archives

Admin

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Search

About Me

Hello, my name is Everly. I am a blogger living in New York. This is my blog, where I post about interior design and decoration. Never miss out on new stuff.

Socialize with me

Popular Posts

DO YOU HAVE A POINT ?

April 21, 2010

THEY FOUND ME IN DESTIN

April 23, 2010

“PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER.” James 5:16

July 16, 2010

Categories

  • Decor
  • Decoration
  • Editor's choice
  • Faith
  • Family
  • Friends
  • Front Page Slideshow
  • General
  • HUMOR
  • Interior design
  • Lifestyle
  • Photography
  • Remembering
  • Travel

Search

Recent Posts

CHRISTMAS 2022

December 30, 2022

SCANXIETY

October 10, 2022

Tag Cloud

Alex art Baby BEACH Boogaloo 16 car childhood Christmas CHRISTMAS 2011 Christmas 2014 cooking Creation decor Destin dinner Easter fall fall fling 2012 Father's Day Finn food gifts Halloween Hawaii Ian interior design kids LAGUNA BEACH Levi lifestyle Maui Mom movies music new year ocean photography Pop post sbc storage Thanksgiving video vintage Wizard of Oz

Everly Video

Everly Post slider

  • THE TURKEY SAGA CONTINUES…

  • I AM RELAXING!!!

  • BANANA BREAD

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No feed found.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.

© 2021 copyright TONJAGATHERINGS.COM // All rights reserved
Designed by Wordpress