Can We Talk About Sweethearts?

Disclosure: No, this was not taken
 in 2012//about 5 years ago-

Simply because it's February and the month of Sweethearts and Valentines, of course. So Be a Sweetheart  y'all and humor me today. These are but a few of the Sweethearts in my life.

You do not have to be a husband/wife to be a Sweetheart, Nor does one have to be engaged to be married . Many people  I readily call a Sweetheart. 

My friend Pam is a real Sweetheart because she is a temporarily a long distance friend who makes the effort to keep our friend connection alive.  We are in touch more now than when she was living just a few miles away.  We value that friendship more now knowing we won't visit in person for months.  How sad that we take for granted dear ones close by because they are 'always there.' 

Our dear dear Sweethearts among friends - Jennie & Melissa and across the street neighbor Dee we so appreciate. We can always count on them for anything at all. They each know they can call, run over or email with even the most trivial request. We often pray for them and don't hesitate to ask for prayers.  Sometimes a week, even two may pass without a conversation with these precious neighbor friends..still they are Sweethearts!

Our little Troy University students [two from China,one American]  we met in the fall and had in our home for lunch-they are connections I would call such Sweethearts. They were so receptive to our reaching out and trying to keep that new relationship going and so gracious to allow us to take pictures to post here and on Facebook. Such Sweethearts!

Our Children, their spouses and our Grands...Sweethearts...Always and I often call them Sweetheart...and of course that "Southern tag of SUGAR".. my little sister Gwen & little brother Carl I call a Sweetheart-So thankful to have them still.

I must add you, my regular or occasional Readers and faithful Blog Followers..such SWEETHEARTS to even be interested in what I have to say! Some check in regularly & I see your town/city on my tracker..others actually take time to give me FEEDBACK.. What A Sweetheart  those are. It always makes me smile inside and out.

Hold on, I only have two more Honorable Mentions .  First is my Sweetheart of a Blogger Friend Heather Graham  Such a Sweetheart in so many ways..and of course a few of that elite group of MY Girls in Texas that follow along. - Sweethearts All!

And Last...but First the Sweetheart of my Life..my silver Fox. Yes, even with the loss of the silver temporarily he's still my silver fox ...I could never have imagined in May 1958 what an incredible [unbelievable] Love Story we would be living out even 54 years later. Not a day in these 54 yrs have I wished to be anywhere else...the safest most joyous place to be..in the arms of one who's devoted his all to you. My SWEETHEART for Life!

Looking Forward...[my personal challenge to you: Share some love with the Sweethearts in your life.Perhaps LEAVE A COMMENT here to tell brag/PTL  about your Sweethearts.]

Jonell

post script: The one big groups of Sweethearts I never forget are those in my Lydia S.S. class And Anela & those ladies Bible Study Sweethearts..precious, precious, dear Godly, praying, loving Sweethearts in my life. I and my Love count on the prayers of these so dear to my  heart.



Gramma's Going Visiting ~

 ~Watch for some changes at Like Gramma's House soon!  Don't go far or stay away too long...you  will miss out and I don't want you to miss anything!

No, No, we are NOT MOVING!
This was a recent repair scene- Some things like roof leaks
cannot be ignored or postponed  

I JUST WANTED TO GRAB YOUR ATTENTION

Welllllllllllllllll, it did look like this from
my view on the ground ~ 

Old Favorites -Also Known As Re-Runs~

Re-Run #1-Inspired as I read old posts and take note of how many views they had. And besides...You may have missed these. Enjoy! [this repost originated on my first blog Down the Lane  ]

Sometimes people bless me with strange gifts. This week a large bundle of freshly pulled from the ground stalks of dried and drying OKRA just appeared on the back of Ted's golf cart. I was a bit slow-saw something from a distance but wasn't curious enough to take a close look..just assumed it was something Ted had dropped there. Two or three days later as I walked over, took a close look and realized it was stalks of okra pulled up roots and all. That's when I knew I had the most amazing husband on this earth. That sweetheart had salvaged those from who knows where and KNOWING HOW I LOVE NATURALS brought them home for me..

now THAT'S A ROMANTIC GESTURE.

He was working at the back yard and I called out to him "Ted, where did you get those stalks of Okra?" He answered "I didn't -I thought you had brought them home."

Funny, he should have taken credit but that's okay now I know someone who knows my peculiar love of naturals has just done the most thoughtful thing..he or she remembered! and shared.
It's still a mystery- someone will confess though.

Now I ask you~ what does it say about one when your friends or your husband's friends bring you strange gifts? That's not the first or strangest. Ted's friends have sent me things like a huge beautifully in tact HORNET'S NEST a few years back. Another sent me unique beautiful little rocks collected while on vacation in Colorado. My sweetheart brought home a large collection of huge incredible ACORNS from a White Oak once..still have some of those too.

Strange, Mysterious and wonderful! I do enjoy God's creation.

Post Script:  Mystery solved! While visiting with friends she asked me if I found the OKRA her husband left for me! I should have known..Robert and Martha are such fabulous precious friends.

Re-Run #2 Copied from my first blog Down the Lane.

                                    Once Upon A Time


Yes, there was a time in the far distant past when I longed for those 'little ones' to be able to just feed, dress and bathe themselves!

And there was the time when I wished they wouldn't run so fast, scream so loudly or allow the doors to slam so often.

Later still I prayed for them to be home on time, to talk to me about their problems and to just tell me the truth. I could handle most surprises armed with the truth.

Some time passed and I could adjust to just seeing most of them once or twice a year if I had to..and sometimes we did.."had to".

Things that Makes Me Drool...[hg]

In spite of wind and a smattering of snow in some form all over creation  I am convinced  Spring Really is on the way.  This wonderful design from Pinterest is something that makes me drool...quoting my friend Heather Graham . 




Source

 

Oh Dear, Oh My, We Gotta Get Out More Often~

While we have never been world travelers, in recent months our getting out of town, big events have been the drive to Birmingham at least every three weeks. Honestly I know that's sad, I mean SAD-since the big trips are for my husband's regular chemo therapy appointments.  I know- it sounds strange.

Read on...be patient. This is a long post!

With that in mind you'll understand when I say I have hardly left home for the past month. Of course we have to count several trips to Wal Mart.  We would all go there...even on the way to the cemetery I imagine.  [Who said Gramma does not have a sense of humor!]

On December 17th I went to the Nail Salon and the same night we joined the Lydia Sunday School Class for a wonderful annual Christmas gathering. Before the end of the week I just couldn't resist scheduling a quick trip to Urgent Care and no, we did not cancel our family Christmas date on the 23rd. You get the picture there.

All that tedious background to get here-yesterday on January 14th I was suddenly inspired...

• She:  "Hey would you like to go somewhere for a sandwich late this afternoon?" 
• He:  "But, we'll just eat it!" See, he has a sense of humor too.
• Two or three hours later I felt much more like venturing out after a shower, shampoo and a bit of sprucing up. I can't run to town [ Troy-8 miles away] without 'bundling'  some other errands. It's called using time & gasoline well- so I grab a pair of slacks to drop off at the Dry Cleaners and check to see if my husband has anything for the cleaners. If I lay the slacks down in the den I'll easily remember and grab them on the way out.  Now-purse, telephone, camera, [ remember? I'm a Blogger] doors locked and lights out behind us..off we go!

 You know what's going to happen: 

January 2013 in the Deep South-Our Unique Viewpoint

Yes, yes, we know it's only the second week of Winter according to the calendar.
Yes, we do understand that Spring does not show up until the Month of March.  Nonetheless, this is how we think.  It's how we see things in the deep South-the state of Alabama. It never fails-we stumble into the first weeks of January and I put on my planner & organizer hat and begin looking close up toward Springtime. I begin making lists, plotting projects.  It matters not what the weather outside is doing...wet, stormy, unseasonably warm, whatever-I always know Springtime is coming very very soon, ready or not.

There are plants that have been ignored, neglected.  There are flower beds that have had no attention in the Fall, even some prominent flowers that we know are to be pruned or cut back seriously and on schedule are still waiting their turn for necessary attention. 

And did anyone notice all the small limbs left after some windy weather days...they will dissappear and my focus will be on all the bare branches and how totally beautiful our outdoors will be when those naked trees are covered again with leaves!!

I do the same thing  indoors...started working on clearing out the unbearable clutter in the freezer this morning. Just the way my mind works. Confession: I know this does not mean I will have it all done on schedule-but, hey a girl can dream!

Looking Forward,

Jonell

Can We Back Up & Start Over?

Thank God for the Delete Option 

Yes, I actually can back up and start over...thanks to that "delete" option.  And why would I want to do that? Frankly I have been doing some whining lately.  I didn't know I was whining when I chose "publish" instead of 'draft' or 'delete' options.  I didn't mean to be whining.  Some quiet, analytical  introspection is sometimes required to be able to see one's self as she really is.  Does that make any sense?  I don't know ...yet. I am still analyzing  and I don't pretend to have the answers.  I am still asking questions [of myself].

We all know even when we apologize for words or deeds & are forgiven - we cannot actually make those words or actions dissappear and not have ocurred. God forgets but how often we find those missteps still hanging out there like  little dark clouds floating past in the distance. 

In contrast to real life -in BLOGGERLAND- we have those magical options of Save, Publish or Delete. This is unlike the 'accidentally' sent email  you so wish you had not chosen to 'send'. It takes a while for many of your Blog readers to get around to your latest post so with just a little luck few if any will have read that less than encouraging or challenging post you shared in a weak moment. 

Whooppee!! There's another thing I can add to my THANKFUL LIST. Thank God for the "delete" option on my blog. I really can erase or back up and start over and I would much rather leave my readers with a somewhat amusing take on my personal revelation. Quite possibly you find this amusing simply because you have had the same 'conversation with self'...and it's perfectly okay if you are laughing at/with me. I will never know unless you choose to disclose it. I much rather leave you laughing...even at me  than to leave you discouraged and gloomy.

Looking Forward...with you -to a 2013 in which I can truly be useful to the Lord I serve and who's name  I wear: "Christian"

No My Peanut Tree does not have this many blooms in
January but it does still have a few beautiful yellow blooms
hanging on though not for long I am sure. 

Jonell