Inside My Mind

The majority of our days are ordinary and typical, we spend them working, playing, dreaming.  They pass uneventfully and without any great fanfare.  Then, there are those few special, unforgettable days which are rare yet forever etched in our memories.  These are the days and moments that truly shape our destiny.  Marriages, births, deaths, our greatest joys and deepest tragedies form the fabric of our lives, the patchwork quilt sewn together with piercing needles of pain and running threads of pleasure.

It is easy to become absorbed into the ordinary days, allowing them to become the definition of who we are.  With life’s pressures superseding all else, we easily fall into the pattern of driven accomplishment.   We must have the big house, fancy car, elite status and notability.  There is no time remaining for family bonding, building friendships or merely exploring our dreams.  We sprint through life content in our successes, depressed by our failures, and struggling not to disappoint anyone whose path crosses ours.  These were the days of my life…..ordinary and typical, rushed and heavy. I spent my time hurrying through the messy days, and completely missing the significant ones.  The stress to accomplish and compete was often overwhelming, but I managed to push the strain aside as I scurried along my chosen path.  It was as if there was a big prize awaiting my arrival yet I had no clue where I was headed.

The week began with another one of those simple, ordinary days. It was Monday. Our son had recently graduated from high school and we were leaving to take him to college on Thursday.  The event loomed ominously before me……my youngest going off to college.  The empty nest fear was creeping up on me.  Had I done enough to prepare this youngest one to leave the nest?  I immersed myself deeper into work in an effort to avoid even thinking about the impact or reflecting on the “baby” I would sorely miss.  The day was spent in the office of our family business clearing up work issues, making travel arrangements, and listening to customer concerns.  As typical, the busy day flew by and before I realized, it was almost four o‘clock.  My son called to say that he had developed a very painful earache. I was concerned but not overly so, he had been swimming a lot over the summer, and most likely summer’s ear was the culprit. After assuring him I would pick up some drops on my way home from work, I jumped back into the work at hand, still an hour left to get things accomplished.

Arriving home that evening, the usual routine began…..fix dinner, clean up the kitchen, take out the trash, check the personal email, get ready for bed and prepare to do it all again tomorrow. Before heading to bed and with the nagging reminder that in just three days, the house would be left empty, my child rearing days behind me, I peeked in on my son to see how he was feeling.   Lying piled upon a stack of pillows, he was still awake and I could see the anguish filling his face.  There were actual tears in the eyes of my super macho 18 year old son.  The pain in his ear had become severe, and it was clear this was not going to get better without help.  With his temp now over 100 degrees, he gave no resistance when I suggested a trip to the emergency room.

When we arrived, it was unusually busy for a Monday night in the relatively small town emergency room.   Our son was feeling a little better from the mega doses of Motrin, and he joked easily with his Dad. I enjoyed watching the interaction yet felt the familiar tug that these moments were to be short lived.  It was hard to enjoy the moment with only 3 days remaining until we would deliver him to college and his new life. Feeling the sudden panic and sensing my eyes becoming teary, I looked around the crowded waiting room for a distraction from my tormenting thoughts. Ignoring this opportunity for self reflection, I took in the colorful array of people in the room.  Men and women lined the walls, they filled and overflowed the meager seating available, some were sleeping in their coveted chairs, while others were holding rags to cuts.   There were scared mothers trying to comfort crying infants, and teenagers looking stunned and confused, random people caught up together in an unlikely, unplanned rendezvous in the middle of the night. I wanted to reach out to these hurting people, offer them sympathy or hope, but the numbing chance that my efforts would be thwarted reduced me to only introspective speculation and paralyzed my advances.  A quote I had heard popped into my head, “Whatever you want to do, do it now. There are only so many tomorrows.”  Yet I quietly sat and waited our turn.

Finally after a two hour wait which seemed like six,  my son’s name was called and he roused up to pass through the sliding glass doors for his turn to see the doctor.  By this time, the pain had returned, and Brett’s usual patience was growing thin.  The doctor confirmed that he had a severe ear infection requiring heavy doses of antibiotics and pain meds.  She gave him a shot and assured us that he would be feeling like his old self very soon.  Before dismissing us the doctor, in answering our inquiry, assured us we could leave Florida on Thursday as planned and deliver our son to college.  Exhausted, we pulled into our driveway at three in the morning.  Secretly disappointed we would not be able to keep him home for a while longer, I was thankful his condition would be quickly resolved, all was well.  Had I known what was about to transpire, I would not have been so calm.

Dragging myself up the next morning, from a very comfortable stupor, I struggled to prepare for the day looming ahead.  Only two days remaining until the inevitable college trip and so much to do.  One of our sales representatives was arriving at the office a little after 8:00 AM to go over some reports plus I had a full and busy day to follow.  It was a perfect plan, no time to waste and certainly no time to think and ponder.  For now it was full speed ahead, I would have to deal with the empty spot growing rapidly in my heart another time.

Arriving at the office, I made coffee and checked the phone messages.  The salesman arrived and much to my chagrin, I realized I had left the reports at home.  The young rep was always in a hurry, so he was less than pleased when I told him I would have to go back home to retrieve the reports.  The fact that I had spent the night in the ER with a sick son and was still a bit foggy brained did not change his sour attitude. My usual confidence waned as I felt miserable that I had forgotten the reports.  Time is money to our sales team and I hated being the one to disappoint. From the office to our home was about a 30 minute round trip, I assured the rep I would hurry and asked him to grab the phones in my absence.  After enjoying one last snarl from him, I rushed out the door and settled into my car for the turn around trip back home. My mind was trying to adjust to this new development and mainly how it would impact my already hectic day.  A 30 minute trip home and back to the office was unplanned, and I am a planner.  Never one to “live in the moment”, I was already thinking about how I could recapture this lost time when I returned to the office.

So engrossed in my thoughts, it did not even occur to me that the radio was playing.  It was the announcer’s intonation as much as his words that suddenly caught my attention.  What??  A plane had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. My first thought was how did the pilot not see that big building looming in front of him??  Almost in the same instance I realized the absurdity of my thought, of course he could see it, he must have had a heart attack, stoke or something?? The announcer continued, “We are not sure of the details, but the crash has been confirmed. There is no additional information at this time.” Music began playing again on the station as I pulled into the driveway.  My mind was a complete blank as I unlocked the door and walked inside the house.  All was quiet, hubby and son were still asleep so I grabbed the reports and hurried out the door.

While backing from the driveway, I turned the radio volume up.  My thoughts were slowly absorbing the news and what an impact such an awful crash would have in New York City.  Music played on the radio with an occasional promise of more information on the NYC crash as soon as available.  Abruptly a little after nine, the alarmed radio announcer burst in with abbreviated spurts of terror as he relayed the news that stopped the heart and made the blood run cold.  A second plane had hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center.  Immediately, without another spoken word….we all knew, every single person listening to the grim details knew, this was no accident and life as we had innocently come to know it was now over.  This was a day, a moment that would forever change and impact our lives.  As a result, we can all remember that day, where we were when we heard the news, what we were wearing, the expressions of faces, and every significant detail, remembered with brazen clarity.  This ordinary day was suddenly turned upside down.

Fragments of news, tiny bits and pieces were being broadcast over the radio waves.  I listened mesmerized as I drove the final few miles back to the office.  The information being hysterically communicated was unconfirmed and was constantly being contradicted.  It seemed no one knew what was going on and pandemonium was apparent at the radio station.  I slid into my parking spot, jumped out of the car and literally burst into the office.  The sales rep was busy building a paper clip collage and was not prepared for my sudden, stunned appearance.   As I rushed past him, he almost tumbled over as he hastily stood from his perch.  “What in the world is going on?” he inquired as I pulled the tiny screen television from the back cabinet and frantically looked for an open plug.

The rep’s mouth dropped open as we both stood speechless before the images of horror unfolding in front of us.  It was not news from some distant, remote country but on our own soil, taking place this moment in New York City, Washington DC and Pennsylvania.  The small screen bombarded us with the unimaginable and brought us to our knees in dismay.  We could not watch the terror and yet we could not stop watching.  I found enough breath to reach for the phone and dial home.  My husband answered and I was shocked at the shaky, tiny voice which escaped my mouth as I asked him to turn on the television.  I needed him to wake Brett and make sure he was alright.  I needed to call my other son.  The urgency to hear their voices was overwhelming and I felt exhausted just speaking these words to my husband.  Then, I began to cry.  The weeks of anguish over my son’s imminent departure were catapulted to the forefront and I had no reserve to stop the flood of tears. I was crying for those who lost their lives today, for their families, for all our children who would never enjoy life in the same way again, for our country, leaders and heroes….mostly I was crying because of the time and energy I had wasted my entire life worrying about things and events which were now completely stripped away; totally without significance.  “Whatever you want to do, do it now.  There are only so many tomorrows” was blasting in my head from the night before.

This was a day which began as an ordinary one, designed to be like any other day but was now unfolding as a day so painful, an entire nation was immediately thrust into mourning.  The sadness was palpable, the loss of life unimaginable.  There were no moments; there was no time. It was just us trying to sort out our thoughts, embrace our fears, grapple with the future and learn what steps to take next.  A nation broken together, grasping for the pieces and tools to knit ourselves together again.  We would have huge scars and right now we had enormous, cavernous wounds.  Our work, play, plans and dreams put on hold, all suspended for the time being.

Our little family of four huddled together that evening, we sat quietly each reflective in their own way. There was no work, there was no play.  Hugs and tears were abundant.  There was no guide book for dealing with this and we drew on each other’s inner strength to sustain us. The television was a constant reminder of the carnage and our fear was as tangible as our grief.  In two days we would leave to take our son to college and the upcoming separation was daunting in light of the day’s events.  It would not be the trip we had planned.  There would be no exciting side trips or joyous excursions, no rushing back to work……all events were now overshadowed by the sorrow clinching our hearts.

As we traveled north on Thursday fully loaded with blankets, coolers, and dorm supplies, the world was different.  There were no planes flying over our heads.  When we stopped for gas or to get a bite to eat, there was only silence, the background televisions reminding us exactly how the world had changed.  The trip was different than I had anticipated, and I was most certainly different.  First of all, I had closed the door to the office on Tuesday and never looked back.  The work could pile up, my priorities had shifted.  There was now time to listen and laugh with my sons, a luxury I seldom allowed myself before.  It was a revelation to learn about their hopes and dreams as well as their fears and insecurities.  Facing an empty house was not nearly as scary now; it would not be the end of my “motherhood” journey, but simply another chapter in my life story, one where I have different responsibilities and challenges.  I was still alive; there was still time to live and enjoy each moment.

As a country, we had lost our innocence, but I had gained a new and brighter perspective.  A deeper understanding of the brevity, sanctity and fulfillment of life had been revealed to me as I watched the wounded faces of the 9/11 victims and their families.

Leaving my son at college was certainly difficult, especially coming on the heels of the tragedy, but the experience was also much more significant because of 9/11. I hugged him tighter  and cried more freely.  It did not occur to me to put up any guard against my emotions.  Life was too short for him to not know how much I cared and how much I would miss him. My mind quietly remembered the diverse array of people gathered that night at the hospital, my brothers and sisters in pain, and I hoped they were all okay.  Then I thought about the 9/11 victims, had they experienced a moment like this when they had seized the opportunity to let their loved ones know exactly how they felt?  I hoped they had.  In a few months our son would come home for Thanksgiving, yet there were so many mothers that would never see their sons and daughters again.  My heart was breaking for them.  As we drove out of the college campus, I looked at my son standing on the sidewalk.  A man ready to take his place in this world, I did not feel the fear I anticipated and dreaded, in its place was excitement and pride.  We would survive; the pain would become our strength…..to live another day.

It has been said, it is not about the destination or event, but about the journey along the way.  Never again would I take the moments of my journey for granted.  Even though I may not necessarily like the destination, I will take time to appreciate the days along the way.  The moments of life are to be savored, explored, reflected upon and allowed to mold us ultimately into the people we are to become. It is through the pain that we develop our strength and without the pain, there is no strength, no depth of character.    If we rush through life only planning for the next day’s destination, event or accomplishment, we miss a whole lot.

Our lives are filled with “ordinary” days, but within those days are extraordinary moments.  Moments that should be forever etched in our memory.  The most precious things in life, the things we sometimes overlook as simple and ordinary are the truly wondrous accomplishments of life.  To love, laugh, touch and feel…….the special, unforgettable moments in life that truly shape our destiny.

May we never forget how we felt, what we did, who we hugged, what we saw nor what we heard on September 11, 2001………..may it never be remembered as an ordinary day.

In a few short months, my youngest son, my baby will be getting married.  When I say he is the youngest and the baby that must be qualified by the fact I only have two sons.  Brett has one older sibling, but that doesn’t matter, by virtue of his rank and order; he is and will always be the family’s baby.

Somewhere in the frenzy of wedding planning the role of the Groom’s mother comes up, it is a dubious distinction only if your son happens to be Prince William.   There are set guidelines and rules to be followed. And yes, I have read all the etiquette concerning my upcoming position. Sadly, I am already failing miserably since I have bought a dress that is definitely not beige!!

Actually I have been very blessed, my future “family” has totally embraced me, asking my opinion and lovingly including me on decisions.  But, since I am a second timer to the Mother of the Groom position and since this will be my last son’s wedding, emotions are running very high.  The mother/son bond is tightly woven, having been sewn precariously together with golden threads of emergency room visits, walks in the park, pockets filled with rocks, picky diets of peanut butter only, unexpected hugs & kisses, little hands that fit perfectly in yours, soccer games, swim meets, old cars, proms and parties.

Mothers are always there for their sons, sometimes offering advice and encouragement, other times quiet and reflective…..but always, always there.  Even if the son is on the other side of the world, the bond exists and grows stronger with each precious day.  Today, if my phone rings and I see it is either of my sons, my world stops that very minute and nothing matters except the voice on the other end.

It is offensive to me when I hear a mother express that their son’s wedding was the end to their mothering role, a time to “hand over the boy to the new woman in his life.”  I am offended because I do not see the mother/son bond that way at all.  It is a strong, powerful, unbreakable bond that exists for all time, however it is not rigid,  more like a rubber band that can easily be stretched.  The bond stretches to include a daughter in the relationship, and the bond expands to mother/son/daughter, a poetically beautiful transformation.  When I look into the face of my son, I see the wonderful memories of our past journey, and then I look into the face of my new daughter and see the promise of our future journey.

On Brett’s wedding day, I will not take off my mother badge nor resign from my mothering duties, but will gladly embrace the new daughter that joins our family and place my mothering stamp right on her.  And I will always, always be there for them.

When you hear those wedding bells ringing in August, be assured this Mother of the Groom will proudly be there celebrating alongside an amazing array of family and friends having fun, smiling…….and there will be tears, tears of joy for the little boy I love so much and for the wonderful man he has become.

I love you so much my dear children, Brad, Brett, Lauren and Jamie!!!

It occurs to me that I am a thinker.  I think about things much more than most people, especially my husband.  He is a doer, he thinks then he does.  I think, feel, evaluate, reflect, examine, unearth then ponder some more.  My sons are both, one thinks too much, the other not enough….strange, and I will have to think about that at a later time.

Thinking about things is time consuming.  Your day can quickly unravel while you ponder the scope and consequences of any given task.  But in my mind, no event, task, question, emotion is exempt from deep evaluation.

Ponder is the word I prefer.  It sounds better to say you are pondering something than simply thinking about it.  To ponder signifies deep introspection, a desire to grasp the entirety of the situation, not just skim the details.

My grandmother would say she is studying on it.  As kids, we would ask Grannie if we could walk to the corner store by ourselves, or go to the movies, or play in the woods.  She would reply, “I’ll study on it.”  We were never sure how long it would take Grannie to study on it, but we knew the answer would not be instantaneous.  So we would lose interest and do something else, which come to think of it was probably Grannie’s plan all along!

As I have gotten older, there is a bit more time to sit and ponder.  It has become one of my favorite things to do.  I believe that is why I love photographs so much.  You can look at a picture and remember everything about the event, the sounds, smells, laughs, tears.  I can look at a picture I know nothing about, and my mind will invent an entire scenario, literally creating the past, present and future of the person or thing in the photo.

Did you know there are organizations called “Think Tanks” where people actually work.  I can only ponder what a great job that must be……….

It has been a while since I have posted anything, and it feels good to be writing again.  If you have read my previous posts, you will find a distinct diversion in this one; it is not about life’s economies but rather its complexities.

If you are like me, when planning a trip, even a short jaunt to the grocery store, I always choose the most direct route.  I prefer straight roads and avoid twists, turns, congestion and left hand turns.  But, sometimes I am forced to take an alternative route, the long and winding road that I don’t prefer………..

Just a brief background, life began for me in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Both my parents were in college at the time. Although I never felt unexpected, I am pretty sure I was unplanned given my mom was only 19 and it was another 5 years before my brother came along.  Dad graduated soon after I was born and we moved to Greenville, South Carolina when I was only a few months old.

Our family stayed around the Greenville area until I was 14, other than a brief stint back in Tennessee, just long enough for my brother to be born.  The summer of my 14^th year brought a big change when Dad accepted a call to a church in Florida.  We loaded up our little clan and headed south. Mom was miserable in Florida the first couple of years and talked longingly about the time we would move back to South Carolina, the perfect place according to her.  She missed the seasons, the people and her work, South Carolina was home.

We did not leave Florida and in turn it was very good to our family.  Both my brother and I found the most amazing native Floridian spouses, beautiful children were born and satisfying careers enjoyed.  Life was good, and Florida was home.

Tragedy swept our nation in 2001, and the subsequent windstorm blew me and hubby to Woodstock, Georgia, well it wasn’t an actually wind as much as a job that moved us to Georgia!  Somewhat like my mother before me, I spent the first couple of years in Georgia wishing, longing, and plotting our return home.  Unlike my mom, though, I left behind not only extended family and friends, but my two sons!!

We lived in Woodstock for six years.  During that time, we fell slowly but surely in love with the beautiful place and people in Georgia.  My mom passed away in 2005 and my youngest son moved to California in 2007…life was changing and I longed for roots to hold me in place.  So, we (more I) jumped at the opportunity that came along for us to move back to Florida.  In 2008, we packed everything up and headed south again, I was one happy little mover!!  The road was leading us back home again.  I contently starting reconnecting with old friends, scheduling family dinners, and spending quality time with those I had missed so much.  But, it was not the utopia I had envisioned.  Unbeknownst to my psyche, our dear friends in Georgia had become my family too and I missed them.

The economic downturn, created a huge pothole in my road of life in 2009 when our oldest son’s career moved he & his wife from Florida to Texas.  Then as our Florida “opportunity” dissolved around us amidst some misplaced trust, I will not forget the day in 2010 when hubby told me we would be moving to …….. South Carolina.

It feels full circle and more than a little bittersweet to be here now.  I look around and it seems familiar.  I remember the smells, the feel, the terrain, the seasons, the Southern accent, I remember being here before, but yet it is different, I am different. I love South Carolina, the people are sweet and so is the tea!! Plus we are close enough to visit Georgia “family” and Florida family too.

But I will not say that South Carolina is home because I don’t know how long we will be here.  It is not meant for me to put down deep roots, but I am thankful for the time I have to put down some small, shallow roots here in South Carolina.  I believe it will be good for me.  Note – Important lesson is to never pull up your roots when you go, even the shallow ones……sometimes they turn out to be much deeper than you realize.  I am so thankful for friends who have never let me go, and continue to dig their roots deeper and deeper in my life.

This has been a strange twisted post, but then so has my journey of the last 10 years!!  I know people who were born and lived their entire lives in a 5 mile radius!! They have a collection of family and friends within walking distance, and I become so envious. What a great life to be able to share your history, moments, holidays, sickness, joys, fears, love within such a close knit circle, to be totally vulnerable with people who know you so well.  But my life journey is different, yet not worse.  There are new paths to explore, new friends to cultivate, new experiences to relish and enjoy……my road is not straight to the destination, but long and winding filled with bumps and hills and left hand turns.  But the views and vistas, the sights and sounds, savoring the new and the old……..it is not the road I would have chosen, but the road that has been chosen for me, and I gratefully traverse down the long and winding road!!

Have you seen the new Sears TV commercial?  A male consumer, not overly impressed with the idea of energy savings, shops for a new washer. The enlighten salesperson informs Mr. Consumer that the energy savings on the new washer will pay for a new dryer.  His attitude immediately turns receptive.

In a recent article entitled Green Construction, the opening statement was, “When it comes to purchasing products and services, consumers are increasingly making their decisions with the environment in mind.” Sorry, but I beg to differ, I believe consumers are increasingly making decisions based on their pocketbooks.  And, in this economy who isn’t??

In this super tough economy, the good news is that living green is extremely cost effective.  Returning to a simpler world, free of harsh chemicals, toxic cleaners, and risky contaminants, actually saves money.  Add to that the energy rewards from simple, inexpensive updates and you are putting cash in your pocket, plus saving the polar bears (even if that is not on your radar!!)  Plus, these savings are tax-free, year after year.

Here are some energy saving examples:

• Planting trees and shrubs to shade your home can lower surrounding air temperatures during warm summer months by up to 9 degrees Fahrenheit and can reduce wall and roof temperatures by 200 to 400 F, Saving about $250 per year.
• Perform regular maintenance on your car to keep it running efficiently. Properly inflated tires, for example, can keep 5,800 pounds of carbon from entering the air each year. Putting about $798 in your pocket per year.

• Switch all the light bulbs in your home from conventional incandescents to compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, you’d save about $270 in one year. And, don’t forget to turn off lights when you don’t need them.

There are many other ways to “go green” yet save money.  Some we have implemented include, upgrading our inefficient cooling system, driving slower to save on fuel (and nerves), adding a programmable thermostat, and the list goes on.

As I have said many times before, the living green concept will have to be consumer driven.  Corporate America is waiting for us to decide if we are going to develop a new attitude and open our pocketbooks to green living.  It is time for us to wake up, and make our world a better, safer place….yes, and save money, too.

Let me know about your green living ideas!!

Yesterday I ventured outside to take a walk around my neighborhood dodging the deluge of Florida showers.  Turns out, I was not the only one trying to catch up on outside activity after several continuous days of rain.  Right next door was an all too familiar sight, a chemical lawn spraying truck.  Totally clad in yellow rubber boots, gloves, coveralls, and hat, the person applying the liberal spray was unrecognizable as male or female. Happy you’re protected, but what about the rest of us?

After circling the block, the truck was gone leaving behind a sign prominently located in my neighbor’s front yard.  The small white sign warned of the dangers lurking in the freshly sprayed lawn.  Now, I don’t know about you, but after seeing the appropriate attire for venturing into said yard, and after reading the emphatic admonishment to stay away, I was not about to trudge across that yard.

Later in the evening, I heard the neighbor’s two dogs barking while happily playing in their backyard.  Sadly, it occurred to me that these sweet, beautiful dogs could not read the warning sign nor could they report to their owners the harsh smell their sensitive noses most likely encountered.  Plus, what about the exposure of our children, and grandchildren to chemicals so harsh the applicator needs to be fully covered in rubber??

Today there seems to be genuine concern about the health and safety of family and pets, but are we really taking the steps to make a difference? Could it be that our current healthcare system is at the brink partly because we have allowed ourselves exposure to chemicals so toxic they are banned in most regions of the world?

‘An EPA-funded study published in the November 2001 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives found that 2,4-D and dicamba (another chemical used in herbicides) are easily tracked indoors, contaminating the air and surfaces inside residences and exposing children and pets at levels ten times higher than pre-application levels. Environmental Health Perspectives 109:11, November 2001.’  Read more at http://catsdogslawns.org

We must reduce and/or eliminate chemical usage in our lives in order to protect our environment and ultimately preserve the life quality of our families and pets. There are amazing companies and products available that have as their sole mission to protect you and the environment.  Organica Technologies (www.organicatechnologies.com) is one of those companies. They offer a 100% All Natural Four Step Lawn Care Program that is 100% effective.

Always keep in mind when you make a change to organic, all natural living…..natural products often take longer to work.   Disrupted by years of chemical abuse, it takes time to restore the ecological balance within our soils, waterways, and households.  Chemicals are quick acting but ultimately create devastating results in our lives.

Be safe, and look for every opportunity to reduce and/or eliminate chemicals in your life.  Gotta go talk to my neighbors now……thanks for reading.

My grandmother is 89 years old.  She has worked her entire life and does not know the meaning of the words, move slowly.  Everything she does is at an accelerated speed.  I appreciate her fortitude, but it is her environmental prowess that this particular blog will address.  Talk about a small carbon footprint, my grandmother is practically a ghost.

Most of us grandchildren were unaware that gifts could be wrapped in “new” shiny paper.  We thought all gifts came wrapped in the funnies or paper carefully stored from Christmases past.  You mean aluminum foil is not intended to be severely wrinkled from multiple usages?  And, how many ways can you use an empty egg crate?  I believe my grandmother has about 999 different ideas!

An amazing woman totally unaware of how much she has taught her many friends and loving family about life, she recycles everything.  Nothing was ever created, given to Granny and only served one purpose.  She has made art out of milk jugs, vases from jelly jars, Easter baskets from strawberry containers; everything is recycled into a new form and life.

Granny worked many years in a school cafeteria.  She still cooks for an army when the family gets together.  With her perfect garden to choose from, she cooks the fresh veggies and fruits that are in season, grown with love and picked with pride!!  Abundant garden items she can’t cook and eat during the season are meticulously canned for the winter or shared with neighbors.  Never a waste, she can fix yummy potato pancakes from left over mashed potatoes, sweet creamed corn from the left over cobs, and the best turkey salad in the world (we look forward to the turkey salad as much as the turkey on Thanksgiving Day!) Although she has little money, she consistently shares her bounty with those around her who are sick, despondent or simply less blessed.    She collects store coupons like they are precious gold, and she can make a dollar out of 25 cents!!

In the current climate of environmental conscientiousness and green awareness, people today are making wiser choices so you may think this is not too unusual.  But, my grandmother has lived her entire 89 years this way.  It is not a lifestyle choice, but a way of life.

We typically equate blessings with material possessions that could not be further from the truth.  True blessing comes from a dear grandmother teaching her family by example how to live life to the fullest, enjoying and respecting what is given to you, and living each day to serve others.  I love my Granny, and am most blessed that she is in my life!!