Today Is.....

The Kickin' It Old Skool Blog-a-thon prompt for today

is to write one sentence that finishes,

"Today is..."

Today is the day for

 

writing and mailing

 

all those Christmas cards;

 

a big job, but I can do it! 



Very First Post 2010

Dear Mom,

Thank you for being my mother; for loving me always and never giving up on me.  Thank you for seeing me through the gawky teen aged years when I longed to fit in, but didn't, and for standing by me when I was a college student hiding my talents because I didn't want to stand out; to be noticed; to be different.

Thank you especially for supporting me through the turmoil of years in a bad marriage.  You knew things were not good, not the way they were supposed to be, even when I was still unable to admit it.  You were always there when I needed you, providing an open ear and as much support as you could muster and I could receive. 

Your steadfast confidence in me has been my North Star and kept me on course through the last twenty years when I was raising your grandchildren alone and trying to make a living, writing and studying in the wee small hours of the morning, and singing like a caged bird.

Now, in your later years, it is my privilege to care for you; to become the vault for your memories, slipping away from your mind and leaving you frustrated and forlorn.  I will hold your hand as you have held mine and we will continue to pass the time together, mother and daughter, great-grandmother and grandma, completing the circle of life assigned to us by God himself, sharing tears and happiness together.

Thank you, Mom, for showing me the way and giving me the freedom to sing.

Love,

Your daughter, Lynn

 

Looking at the history of my blog with Jamie and Shannon for Kickin' It Old Skool Blog-a-thon!

10 Things About Me!

Join in the fun for the December Blog-a-thon!

 

 

1.  I'm trying to break the chocolate habit and it is S-O-O-O hard!

 

 

2.  I grew up in Youngstown, NY, home of Old Fort Niagara.  Our home was at the mouth of the Niagara River.  From our back yard we could look across Lake Ontario and see Toronto's skyline.  That always fascinated me.

 

 

3.  I rise at 5:30 a.m. every day so I can have a couple of hours of peace and quiet to journal and keep up with facebook and emails.

 

 

4.  I am a Words With Friends addict.

 

 

5.  My 97-year-old mother lives with me.  Her health is declining so we are more and more housebound.

 

 

6.  I am long-ago-divorced and raised my three children as a single mom.  People ask me how I did it.  I say, "One disaster at a time." 

 

 

7.  I retired from teaching four years ago.  Over the span of my career I taught everything from 2nd grade through 10th grade English except 6th and 7th grades.

 

 

8.  I have 2 unrevised novels completed.  Maybe 2014 will be the year to re-vision them.

 

 

9.  When I retired I downsized from a 3,400 sq. ft. house to a 1,600 sq. ft. house.  It has had its traumatic moments.

 

 

10.  I have a 'cowlick' on the crown of my head.  When my hairdresser cuts it too short, I look like a rooster.

 

 



Weather Wednesday

Having fun doing the Kickin It Old Skool Blog-a-thon!

The forecast here in the sunny south is a high of 77 F and a low of 57 F with a 30% chance of showers this morning.  A balmy autumn day. "But wait," I hear you saying.  Isn't it already December?  Ah, yes!  But this is December in South Carolina!  We usually have to wait until January and early February to actually feel more like the winters that I remember as a kid in upstate New York.  And even then snow is a really, REALLY far out possibility!  Cold and freezing rain, yes.  Snow, not so much. 

Hope the weather for today is making you happy, wherever you are. 

Catching the Moment

Participating in

Planet Shannon and Jamie Ridler Studio's Blog-a-thon for December. 

Come on and join the fun!

1.  What am I reading?

Laughing out loud at the antics of Stephanie Plum in the series by Janet Evanovich.  Stephanie simply cannot seem to keep a car, no matter new, old, or in between.  It's always a chuckle to see just what happens to her vehicles. 
Ka-boom!

 

2.  What am I watching?

These days my mother's movie of choice is a Hallmark Christmas movie.  So there is sure to be one playing for some part of the afternoon or evening.

 

3.  What am I listening to?

My choir is hard at work learning and perfecting the Christmas Cantata.  We are performing The Father's Night of Love in a couple of weeks and are working out the tough parts now.  So that is what is in the cd player all of the time!

 

4.  What am I loving?

Just put up the Christmas tree and pulled out a selection of Santas for decorating the house.  My favorite part of the holidays.

 

5.  What am I wearing?

Staying as comfortable as possible with jeans and t-shirts most of the time.  I usually top that off with my fuzzy-lined slippers.  Ahhh.  Comfort.

 

6.  What am I creating?

Have written two new arrangements for the choir for this month.  Also, working on finishing a counted cross-stitch piece that should have been finished weeks ago!

 

7.  What am I looking forward to?

All of my children and their spouses and their children will be with us for Christmas.  It is always a houseful, but so much fun. 
I am also looking forward to re-aligning my goals and beginning some
new routines to start the new year. 


Compared to all of you creative folks out there, I sound like the little
old grandma from down the street.  Hoping to recognize my
creative soul in there somewhere!

 

 

 

Selfie

This is my first 'selfie' ever!  The picture shows me as I am, no doubt about it.  Older than I like to admit, with more pounds and wrinkles than I need, but mostly happy with my life at the moment.

I love my work at Bedon Baptist Church, where I have been the Director of Music for 18 years.  Writing and arranging music for my choirs has become a passion for me.  We are currently preparing music for Advent and Christmas, and I come home humming tunes and wake in the night with the music running through my head. 

I retired from teaching four years ago, when my mother needed a full-time caregiver.  So I spend my days with her, balancing her needs with my own.

I am a grandmother, three little ones so far, and I try to be available for them whenever they need me.  Caring for the youngest in the family and the oldest at the same time is an interesting juxtaposition! 

So, hope you'll pop on by for a visit now and then.  See you soon.

An Evening of Southern Gospel

Today is the day after.  This is the day of reflection that follows the BIG EVENT.  And today I can't stop rejoicing!  I can't stop lifting my mind and heart to God to say thank you for filling the sanctuary with people, seated shoulder to shoulder filling every pew.  I can't stop thanking God for the rain that fell during the performance, and for covering our church with His hands and keeping the power on while the lightning flashed outside our windows and the thunder rumbled a mighty addition to the bass lines in the music.

As we sang "Light Up the Sky" God did just that with flashes of lightning making the music so much more thrilling.  God's accompaniment; God's sure and certain participation in the joy that filled the air within.

I thank God for the musical gifts He has given me, and the people he has led me to sing with.  I thank Him for providing the opportunity to share those gifts with so many people.  I thank God for letting each and every voice be heard and the overwhelming satisfaction that comes from raising a joyful noise to the Lord.

Like the Grinch, today I feel that my heart has grown three sizes and I am overwhelmed with the joy of the Holy Spirit still moving within.

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

                                                                                                 Psalm 30:11-12