Following the GPS

While preparing the disciples for His death, Jesus tried to comfort them by telling them He had to go away but they knew the way to the place where He was going.  The Apostle Thomas said to Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  (John 14:1-7)

Do you ever feel like Thomas?  Lord, I don’t know which way to go.  Life gets so confusing.  There are decisions to make but no answer seems right or, even worse, no answer seems wrong.  It would be so much easier if someone would just tell me the way to go.

In my sales job, I frequently have to drive to unknown locations.  I pack the car with everything I need for the appointment and make sure the tank is full of gas.  I punch the address into my GPS and I take off following the woman’s voice blindly.  “Follow I-40 East for 56 miles,” she says.  I never check to see if she is taking me the right direction; I sit back and drive.  I listen to the radio, relaxing and enjoying the scenery.  Sometimes I even have a snack as I am driving down unfamiliar roads.  The voice directs, “Right turn in 1.2 miles.”  OK, no problem.  I am confident that she will take me to my destination because she always has before.  “You have reached your destination,” the pleasant woman’s voice says.  “Thank you,” I say.

Many times while studying the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt I have wondered why they didn't just follow God’s leading.  They could have made the trip to the Promised Land in about two weeks and saved themselves all that heartache.  It has occurred to me recently that I may be guilty of the same behavior.  I, too, get distracted by personal needs and wants.  I worry that things won’t turn out the way I want them to.  I am focused on busyness instead of listening for His voice.

Why can’t I be as confident that Jesus is leading me on the right path as I am of the soothing voice of the GPS?  My Lord is probably saying, “What is wrong with her?  She is wondering around just like those Israelites in the desert.  Doesn't she know that I know the way?  Hey, Wanda, relax.  Listen to my voice and I will get you to your destination.  You know I AM the Way.”

A Season of Discontent - a fictionalized true story

         

"It's done,” he said, his face expressionless.  The computer geek took his hands off the keys and turned to face me.
“That was fast,” I said stepping over to peer at the cantankerous laptop’s stupid screen now blinking its welcome.  “I have been locked out for three weeks.”  I said again more to express my frustration than to try to explain.  I pulled my checkbook from the desk drawer and wrote him a check for $100.  That is how much stupidity costs when you forget to write down your password.

The check put a punctuation point to the theme of the last few months.  Nothing has gone the way I planned.  Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.  Well, not everything, I suppose.  I still have my health but the stress is probably killing me.
              
During the summer I started training for a new position at work.  Along with the new position came the possibility of more money.  The excitement of learning something new and making some much needed cash kicked my motivation into high gear.  By fall I was raring to go but then the computer system that supports the new position crashed.  “We are working on it.  Hang on.  Give us another month.”  A month turned into six weeks and the new position was put on hold.  All this new knowledge is getting me nowhere.  I am working smarter but not faster. 
           
The work drama has been compounded by a string of silly accidents.  None of them were my fault necessarily which made them all the more exasperating.  The first one involved a shoe carelessly left at the bottom of a flight of steps by a young man visiting my house.  Boom, my foot hit the shoe and I went careening off to the left spraining my ankle.  The second incident involved volunteering at a horse ranch for autistic kids.  Another volunteer at the farm suddenly slapped my arm.  “A bee was crawling on you,” he said all proud of himself for his bravery.  I’m allergic to stings, you imbecile, and you don’t slap bees you shoo them.  I got over it but it took some time.

Since my mother died nine months before, I was in an altered state when my aunt asked me to drive her to Alabama to place roses on the graves of two generations of my mom’s family.   In retrospect, flip flops were not the best choice of foot attire for an old cemetery.  I took home a raging bout of poison ivy that required a trip to the doctor for a steroid shot.  To add insult to injury, I somehow gave myself a pulled trapezius muscle for Labor Day.  It is fun trying to balance a plate of barbecue while doped up on muscle relaxers.

I have found that nothing satisfies a bad mood more than buying something new, something expensive.  I had gotten a little money when my mom passed so on a whim I bought a new laptop during the back-to-school, no sales tax, weekend.  I didn’t do any research I just bought the shiniest, latest and greatest computer running Windows 8.  I had heard horror stories about the Windows 8 operating system but they didn’t register with me until they became my horror stories.  A problem connecting to the Internet necessitated me downloading a new driver from the manufacturer.  In a fit of rage and frustration, I changed my user name and password in preparation of returning the evil machine for store credit.  That’s when I locked myself out.

I would love to tell you that things are looking up.  The laptop and I are getting along but the job situation has not changed.  Sometimes the only thing you can change is your attitude.  I was due a big attitude adjustment so I made one.  Banging on a locked door doesn’t make it open any quicker.  Sometimes when the door is closed; there are no windows open either.  The only option is to wait and I am not a good waiter.  Being thankful for what’s good in my life helps even when it is a young man who is careless about his shoes or a shiny, new laptop.  I am practicing being thankful for the present and trying not to worry about the uncertain future.

Day of Firsts

I love the first of a new month.  We get a new beginning every 30 days or so.  The first day of August is one of those days.  It is the first day with a major change to how I do business.  It is the first day of school locally.  Traditionally, it was the first day of family vacation when I was growing up.  My devotional reading from Jesus Calling reminded me that God never forgets us like a mother never forgets her children.  I wrote "Carla" and "Kelly" on the palms of my hands in ink so I would remember them during the day.  I am putting them first in my thoughts today.  I will put God first in everything I do and I am promised (Matthew 6:33) that everything else will come together as a result of that.  There is no need to worry.  Also, today is my first day of doing a post a day!

The Sidewalk Salesman

I hate to be critical of someone’s profession but what job satisfaction does a person receive from waving a “Cash for Gold” sign all day or waving to passersby while wearing a Statue of Liberty costume?  I suppose Lady Liberty could be an employee of the firm who has been chosen to represent out on the sidewalk for a few hours similar to the Chick-Fil-A cow but the “Cash for Gold” sign waver, on the other hand, seems to be a whole new job classification.

I have seen these brave, new workers all over Nashville.  The lucky ones get assigned a corner spot of a busy intersection from which to entice passing motorists.  The less fortunate are relegated to a sidewalk in front of a business where they pace for hours.  I have tried on several occasions to snap a picture of one of these sign wavers with my cell phone as I idle at a red light but with little success.  They are an elusive lot. 

Sign Wavers seem to form into two groups, enthusiastic or complaisant.  It is easy to spot the enthusiastic.  One’s eye is drawn to their swirling antics.  It is a new art form almost.  The enthusiastic sign wavers are overwhelmingly young men.  After all, a person would need to be strong to keep that board moving constantly for what?  hours?  The complaisant ones basically just stand there with the arrow-shaped board in their hand only moving it when they see a car approach.  You can tell their heart is not in it.  These young men would rather be home playing video games but they need the cash for a new skate board.  There is, of course, the occasional old Santa or “Cash for Gold” guy but they are rare.  Sign waving is a young man’s game.

As I drive around Nashville and observe sign wavers, I also ponder their financial situation.  How much are these folks get paid?  I assume they are paid based on the number of hours they wave the sign but do they get a bonus for being creative in their display?  Do they get an uptick in their pay when customers actual come through the door of the store they represent?  I am assuming they get the normal benefit of periodic bio breaks or, in the case of a costumed character, time to go inside and cool off but is that it?  What drives a person to a life as a sign waver?  Is it the money alone or the glory of the performance?

On particularly difficult days when I come home empty-handed after a sales appointment, I will see a sign waver on the corner and he seems to be having so much fun.  He does not seem to have a care in the world and I must admit I am jealous of his carefree lifestyle.  If you are reading this and you are a sign waver, would you give me a call at the number below?  I have a lot of questions plus I would like to take your picture.

Marketing to Millennials

I stole this magazine from the doctor's office while waiting for blood work.  I had already waited an hour for the doctor after they had called me two days prior to ask me if I could move my appointment up an hour.  I figured they wouldn't miss the magazine.  Since I sell to more and more Millennials these days, I need to know what will attract them to buy health insurance.  Just as I had guessed, nothing.

John Bonini at Impact Branding & Design wrote an interesting blog entitled "What you need to know about marketing to Millennials" as a result of the Time article.  He interviewed other Millennials (Born 1980-2000) to get their take on the topic.  Here are their thoughts compared to my Baby Boomer (Born 1943-1960) perspective:

1)  They do everything online.  OK, have you seen my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Blogspot?  We invented online; of course, we love it, too.  The big difference is we go online either for work or play.  We do not "live" online.  I am not even sure that is possible unless you are an avatar.  Most Baby Boomers are still trying to work at important jobs earning real money so they can retire someday.  That means we have to "live" in the real world not the digital one.

2)  They don't read mail, newspapers or watch ads on TV.  Who does anymore?  Next.

3)  They won't buy something unless they need it and it is recommended by someone they know.  Like you really, reaaaalllly needed that iPhone 5 because 800 of your 1000 Facebook friends had one.  So, your mom bought you one and put it on her plan.  Right, got it.  So, in reality I need to be marketing to your mom who is probably a Gen Xer (Born 1961-80).  It is odd to me when an adult employee tells me they need to check with their mom before they can buy $3 of life insurance.  Do you check with your mom or your Facebook friends every time you feel a need to buy a Starbucks?  Maybe it is because we have delayed the maturation of Millennials to the point where they can't think of why they would need life or health insurance.  I got married when I was 19.  Had a mortgage at 22 and a baby at 23.  We had to delay purchasing things we wanted in order to have the things we needed.  The idea of asking for recommendations from friends and family is a good idea but not a new one.  Relationship selling is an old concept.  I agree with Millennials that people buy from people they know and like.

4)  They get angry if they are not marketed to how and when they want.  One Millennial said, "Make it relevant to me and my needs and interests."  I can sometimes get annoyed by advertising but angry?  Haven't you heard, "The only one that can make you angry is you?"  See, it is all about YOU.  If the Internet is so central to your life that an ad can make you angry, perhaps it is time you stop "living" on the Internet.  My advice to Millennials is the same as I would give to a depressed Baby Boomer, stop focusing on yourself and start giving back to others.  Get out and get your hands dirty planting an urban vegetable garden or building a home for the needy.

5)  They want marketing by companies that make a difference.  This me and my focus is interesting because Millennials also want products they buy to "make a difference."  Have you noticed how many products have a "charity" ingredient?  Perhaps this is how Millennials can have their cake and eat it, too.  Our local chamber of commerce has an annual race to support, uh, the chamber which receives no public funds.  The race took off in popularity only after a small portion of the race fee was donated to a charity.  As a Baby Boomer, I will freely give hundreds of dollars a year to several charities that I select.  I don't need or want a corporation deciding who will receive donations based on me buying a pink spoon.

In summary, human beings are not that different when it comes to buying stuff.  We all want to know and be known.  This is probably why everyone enjoys shopping on Amazon and never admits to shopping at Wal-Mart.  Amazon calls us by name and knows what we have bought and what we want to buy.  They will even gift wrap it for us and send it to our dad's address.  We want to feel like we are smart and capable of making good buying decisions.  We want to feel important and do something important.  It made my day to see that Google had changed their search logo to celebrate MY birthday.  The market never changes just the methods.  We are not so different, you and I.

How a change in attitude changed my life

All I ever wanted to be was a secretary.  Maybe I was influenced by the always professional Della Street on the TV show, “Perry Mason” or Lucille Ball’s silly character in “The Lucy Show.”  The roles of women in the 1960’s were changing ever so slightly.  I wanted to be more than a wife and mother.  I wanted to work.  As a teen, I remember seeing women emerging from high rise buildings in Nashville with newspapers under their arms after a day in the “salt mines.”  That was what I wanted to be.


General Accounting Department, 24^th floor, National Life Insurance Company, 1970.
  My spot is the second desk, left side, covered typewriter.



I took every secretarial class offered at my high school – typing, shorthand, and accounting. By the end of my senior year, I had already been hired by National Life Insurance Company who, by the way, had the tallest building in Nashville at the time, 31 floors. I was given a typing test and because of my quick fingers and accuracy with numbers was given a 10-cent per hour raise before I even started work. I was assigned to the General Accounting Department on the 24th floor. The minimum wage in 1970 was $1.60 per hour. I made $2 per hour to type 4-part, carbon-copied journal entries all day on an IBM Selectric. I was living my dream as I streamed out of the National Life tower in the afternoons along with a thousand co-workers. (Now called the Tennessee Tower.)




Carla at the Royal while Kelly has an in-depth conversation on the push button phone.
  This is why Jerry was able to retire with a year of sick leave. Probably summer of 1983.

 

Several jobs, many years and a couple of kids later, I was still a secretary although the politically correct title was administrative assistant. I was working for Philips Semiconductor. That is Philips with one L, the largest electronics company in the world at the time. When I say I was a secretary, I mean I made my boss’s coffee, added cream and placed it on his desk every morning, handle facing right. I transcribed letters using a Royal electric typewriter which I liked better than the Selectric because the keyboard was flatter. I could fly on it. Something was happening though. I started thinking about what it would be like if someone served me coffee every morning.


About 1987 Philips decided to add a person to handle inside sales to our two-person sales office.  This was my chance to move up.  I had been there for six years.  I knew everything there was to know about our products and our customers.  The only thing I didn’t have was a diploma.  As it turned out, it was the only thing I needed.  Philips transferred a college-educated young woman from the California home office to take the job.  I was crushed and went into what my boss called a “snit.”  This is when the change of attitude happened.

Wanda sitting at first personal computer at Signetics in 1985. I was amazed at how quickly Lotus 1-2-3 could sort a list of part numbers.

During a conversation with the California HR department, I was encouraged to take advantage of Philips’ degree assistance program.  They had probably got wind of my “snit” and were afraid I would quit.  My husband, who had a Master’s Degree in Education by this time, also encouraged me to take some classes at our local community college.  “Why not get an education at their expense and then quit?” was my thinking at the time so I started taking one class a quarter and testing out of work-related classes.  What started out as taking revenge on my company for what I saw as an injustice, turned out to be just what I needed to get me out of my “snit” and change my attitude.  As it turned out, “Miss College Educated” quit after two years and guess who got the job?  Me.  I even got an office with a door and we hired a new administrative assistant who, I must say, wasn’t much of a typist.

It took me five years but I finally got a diploma with an Associate’s Degree in Business.  I worked for Philips eleven years before I moved on to outside sales.  It wasn’t until 2005 as a District Sales Manager with Aflac that I rented my own offices and hired my own administrative assistant.  I had learned to like coffee by then.  It was an occupational hazard of being a salesman on the road for so many years.  My assistant did everything I asked her to do but I never asked her to bring me coffee.  I’ve come a long way, baby.
 

Julie Templeton, Coordinator-in-Training, and Wanda Holt, District Sales Coordinator, in the conference room at Wanda’s office on Peabody Street in 2006.

 

 

PaD: Glasses

Here is my selection of glasses.  I have already written about my poor vision so these are my standbys.  The wire ones are not bifocals so they are perfect for watching TV in bed.  The red ones are my favorites because they don't make my eyes look so tiny.  The black ones have rhinestones on the temples and were the most expensive.  The red and the black are both no line bifocals.  I really wanted to get a pair of tortoise shell ones when I had my eye exam this year but I could not justify another $500 pair of glasses in my wardrobe.

I wear contact lens every day but it is a good idea to have at least one pair of up-to-date glasses.  Back in 2000 when I was seriously ill and in the hospital for a week, I was stuck wearing my old, big '80's glasses that used to have my initials stuck on the corner of the lens.  It was embarrassing and I promised myself if I lived I would get some new glasses.  The wire-rimmed glasses were bought the next year.

Well, today is April 30th and the last day of my Picture-A-Day challenge.  I have enjoyed doing it.  Hopefully, I will write on my blog more often now that I am in the habit.  See you in May.

PaD: I wore this today

Today I wore a maroon, 3/4 length sleeve top with gray slacks and my magnet necklace made into a bracelet.  I like this top but I don't wear it much.  It is too warm and dark for summer but too light weight and short sleeved for winter.  I have worn it with a jacket but the cute flower detail is covered up, so, what is the point?

I did find out today that a selfie of what you are wearing is more difficult to take than I thought.  Teenagers do it all the time by taking a picture of themselves in the bathroom mirror wearing their PJs or work uniform.  Maybe there is a class they teach in high school about how to take a decent picture of yourself by yourself.

I also wore today my new matching gray and burnt orange workout pants, top and jacket that I got for Christmas.  I have missed the last two weeks of yoga due to a meeting and being out of town.  It was a little difficult to do tree pose with my bum foot but I managed and I looked good doing it, thank you very much, Santa.

PaD: My Sunday

After a very rainy, soggy Saturday, Sunday is somewhat better.  No rain.  Just overcast skies.  No problem.  I plan to stay in all afternoon anyway.  After church and lunch, I kicked my poor feet up and tried to catch up on the three episodes of Project Runaway I have recorded but not watched.  It is my guilty pleasure.  I finished two episodes  and a couple of loads of laundry and baked three loaves of sourdough bread before it was time for a special gospel singing at church.

What has happened to my lazy, Sunday afternoons?  It seems I no longer have time for Sunday afternoon naps, reading or just catching up on TV shows.  Maybe the older I get; the slower I get and it just takes me longer to get everything done.

P. S.  My left foot is much better from the bad fall I took last Sunday afternoon in my daughter's garage.  Still bruised and very tender but healing.  So thankful!

PaD: Earth

I came back from East Tennessee and did one of my favorite things -- I took a walk around the yard checking out the flowers.  The daffodils have faded but the iris are blooming, four different colors.  Everything has shot up in the last week in large part due to the April showers.

This morning there was a downpour as I left for my writer's class.  The driveway and the neighbor's yard were large ponds.  When I got home, the rain had slacked off.  A fat robin was taking a bath in a pool of rainwater standing on the sidewalk.  I tried to take a picture of him (or her) but he was too quick for me.  The earth is totally saturated from the rain with more to come overnight.

I love rain and rainy days.  It cleans the air and caused everything to burst forth with life.  The leaves and grass turns super green and lush.  The trees can drink all they need.  The flowers soak in the rain to feed their blooms.  With my birthday only 18 days away, my peony bush needs the rain to produce its gorgeous pink flowers for my birthday.  There is a reason for the saying, "April showers bring May flowers."

PaD: Childhood

Just in case you have been in a cave for the last couple of months, the video game shown in the picture is Candy Crush.  It is a silly game where the player has to match three pieces of like candy until the assigned task has been completed.  At that point, "Sugar Crush" is announced and floats across the screen followed by Swedish Fish that swim across the candy field popping candy and ringing up your score.  There is no sweeter sound in the whole world.

What is it about American adults that makes us love to play childish games?  Maybe other advanced societies play games as well but certainly adults in cultures where they have to work all day to feed their families don't sit at a computer all day playing a silly game based on popping candy.

I will admit I am addicted to Candy Crush.  I am on Level 88 and am proud of that accomplishment.  Now, why I am proud of that accomplishment, I cannot say.  I don't play sports.  Never did.  I admire and envy people who go out and actually exert physical energy to play a game of sports with other players who are exerting physical energy.  I am somewhat mystified by people who spend time watching games on TV and follow sports teams religiously.  The game that really has me scratching my head is a game based on how the well contestents perform playing fantasy ballgames that are based on a real ballgames.  Believe it or not, there is even a sports segment on ESPN that reports on fantasy ballgames.  Huh?  To me, this is like a Russian doll.  It is one game based on another game that is based on another game.  How lazy can Americans be?

Maybe we are all trying to recapture our childhood.  Life is difficult sometimes.  (See yesterday's post.)  What is wrong with wilying away a few minutes or hours popping colorful candy?  It sure beats trying to figure out who has the best fantasy Candy Crush player.  At least my finger is getting some exercise.

PaD: Life is . . .

Life is . . . like being parked on the interstate.  You know that you should be moving forward but you can't.  You are blocked by some force larger than you or by some emergency, accident or illness.  It is pointless to struggle. 

You are trapped inside.  You want to get out but you are unsure.  Is it really safe out there?  At least inside you are surrounded by your belongings and you are safe.  You can survive inside alone at least for a short time but you wonder what is going on outside.  What are you missing?

You know it is not normal to be stuck but after some time it starts to feel normal until you see other people moving on with their lives.  It is amazing how fast others seem to be moving when you are sitting still.  Everyone is making progress except you.  Everyone is ahead of you.  Can you ever catch up or make up the lost time?

Today I was literally parked on I-40 West due to a tanker accident about a mile ahead of me.  I put the car in park, turned off the ignition and sat contently listening to my XM radio.  After about 30 minutes, I finally got out of the car and we were told to back up, turn around and take a detour since the interstate was closed in both directions.  I followed my GPS, rejoined the interstate and continued my drive home.

Maybe it is just me but I have had times in my life when I felt like I was parked on the interstate.  A memorable time was when I was seriously ill and life had to be put on hold.  I feel like I was somewhat "parked" during the last three years due to my mother's illness.  Not able to go forward or turn around.  (Sort of like the untrained U-Haul driver in front of me today.)  Since her passing in November, I am slowing putting my life back into gear.  I trust my Heavenly GPS.  He knows the path He has for me.  It may be a detour from the path that I had been on but that will be fine with me since I know the path will lead me home.

PaD: I saw this person today

This is my granddaughter dancing in the rain.  Today is my last day in Jonesborough and it was as jam-packed with activities as all the other days!

We went to the country club for her golf lesson but it was rained out.  Her brother was determined to get some putting practice in so he stayed on the putting green after we had run to the van.  By the time he joined us in the van he was soaking wet.  Crazy kid.

On busy days like today I need to remember to slow down and dance in the rain.  Who cares if your clothes get soaking wet if you are doing something that you love?  Life is too short not to enjoy even the rain.

PaD: Time

What a frustrating day it has been!  I spent THREE hours this morning calling a hot water heater company to get a part replaced under warranty.  Suffice it to say, they did not want to cover it under the warranty but eventually did when I jumped through enough hoops.  I thought it would save my daughter and son-in-law a bunch of money and, maybe it did, but the plumber is charging an arm and a leg to do the labor.  What is a mother-in-law to do?  The grands and I have been without hot water for four days and the parents return tomorrow.  This had to get done, folks!

The grands have learned some valuable lessons the last four days:

1.  Having running hot and cold water inside the house is a luxury.

2.  You can get clean in four inches of bath water.

3.  Do whatever you have to do to solve the problem.

I am a "Get 'ur done," problem-solving type person but I must admit I was ready to throw in the towel, a dirty, can't do any laundry towel, this morning.  The American Hot Water Heater Company of Johnson City, Tennessee, almost broke me.  I had all these wonderful plans of things to do while I was visiting this week -- visiting friends, making meals, sewing, reading, etc. etc.  My time has been consumed with solving the hot water heater problem and doing stupid sixth grade Science homework.  It's all good.  It's like I told Turner last night while we were both working on his two hours of Science homework, "In a month this will all be history."  In about 48 hours I will be back home with my snuggle bunny, sleeping in my own bed and missing my grandbabies.  Time is on my side.

PaD: Blurry

Are you kidding me?  With these eyes, everything is blurry.  My glasses are the thickness of the bottom of a Coke bottle and my contracts are 8.5 power.  I started wearing glasses when I was in the fourth grade.  My father thought glasses were a source of revenue for doctors and nothing else.  He found out differently when he could no longer read and needed some himself.

I remember the first time I saw rain.  I had just got my first pair of soft contact lens.  I honestly had never seen the individual drops before or at least that I could remember.  Contact lens also solved the pesky problem of depth perception.  The first time I went to buy shampoo after getting my new lens I thought I was getting a bargain of a bigger bottle.  Jerry told me the bottle was the same size as always.  I also had trouble distinguishing between a soup spoon and a dessert spoon.  That was when Jerry knew why I was never good at tennis.

While in Jonesborough, I have been looking at the night sky.  I have missed being able to see the stars.  The city lights of a metropolitan area like Nashville produces so much light even at night that your eyes can no longer see the dimmer stars.  They are still there you just can't see them.  There are actually very few places on the earth still dark enough that you can truly see all the stars.  (Google it.)  Here in Jonesborough I can see many more stars but they are blurry to me.  I would love to see what the moon really look like.  I need to try out Carson's telescope one of these nights.

One day I will have perfect vision.  Oh, what a day that will be!

Now, let's talk about those eyebrows. . .

PaD: Fire

Today's word is fire.  I did not encounter any fires today.  Thank goodness.  I do have a fire in my belly and it is not acid reflux.  Today was Prayers for Paisley Day at my church.  Paisley is the 9 year old daughter of a friend of mine.  Paisley is very sick and there is no treatment for the disease she has.  That is an unheard of situation with our modern medicine.  Surely there is something they can do.  It turns out her problem is so rare that no one is really even working on it.  There is nothing modern medicine can do so our prayers even more important.

There are a lot of causes in this world to care about.  Many of them may affect a larger number of people than one 9-year old girl but to this one family it means everything.



PaD: On my mind

Today's suggestion for a picture is "on my mind."  There is normally a lot on my mind and I don't care to give you a piece of it.  I suppose anyone who writes a blog on a daily basis feels like they have something on their mind that they want to share.  How do you take a picture of what is on your mind?

Well, today is Saturday and we have just been hanging out today.  We slept late, ate lunch at McDonalds and watched two and a half movies.  The best part of the day was working in the yard with my grands, Turner and Carson.  It was a cool but sunny day.  Their dad had fertilized the yard before they left on vacation.  After two days of rain, the grass had grown and needed to be cut.  We tried to get the riding lawn mower started but the battery seemed to be dead.  So, we pulled out the push mower and Turner mowed the front yard.  We also pulled up weeds and racked the excess grass clippings.  It was an awesome afternoon.

On my mind now is a shower and we seem to be out of hot water. . . 

PaD: Button

Buttons!  Buttons!  Buttons!  I have been driving my daughter's van around for the last three days.  It took several tries to get the air conditioner working.  I think Turner had pushed too many buttons.  I have also figured out how to open the sliding side doors although I don't always get the correct side the first time.

I am also being "button-challenged" by the four remote controls necessary to work the TV and satellite system.  It was two days before I was able to find the simple network channels.

So, we are getting the hang of things.  I am finding my way around Jonesborough though I have to take directions from an eight year old.  She is actually better at giving directions than the eleven year old who waits until I am at the street before he tell me to turn and then has to tell me to turn around.  He doesn't think I know how to drive the van.  Hey, I got it.  I am in control of these buttons.

PaD: Hello!

Well, hello, there.  This is Ace, my min-pin granddog.  I am staying at my daughter's house to take care of my grandchildren but Ace comes with the rest of the family.  It is fairly well know that I am not a dog person.  Actually, I am not much of an animal lover in general.  I am fine with them from a distance.  It is up close where it gets, well, hairy.

I had a pet dog when I was a teenager.  He was a black dachshund named Tiny.  I loved him dearly and cried a bucket of tears when he came to an unfortunate end while chasing a "girlfriend."

When our girls were young, we had a cocker spaniel named Heather who had a liter of puppies.  We kept an especially cute one we named Speedy.  Cocker spaniels are not the smartest breed nor are they the best dogs to have on a farm.  Heather and Speedy both got a little too close to the busy road in front of our house.  That was the end of our dog ownership.

So, I am here with Ace while the kids are away at school.  We have established an easy working relationship.  I take care of him and he doesn't lay in my lap.  I even gave him a tiny bit of scrambled egg yesterday.  He is growing on me.

PaD: Busy

For the next week I am staying with my grandchildren and my granddog while their mom and dad are in New York City on a trip my daughter won at her work.  In my normal life, what I think is a busy day is not really a busy day!  It is not even 8 p.m. and I am ready to go to bed.  I don't know if it helped or hurted that it has rained all day and Turner's golf match and Carson's golf lesson were both cancelled.  We went for frozen yogurt and stopped

by the grocery store instead.  Jeepers, I forgot how much trouble two kids can get into at a store.  You would think by the age of 11 and 8 they could control themselve just a bit.  Must have been the sugar from the yogurt. 

We are now working on sixth grade homework.  What happened to the idea of giving questions drawn from the material?  His social studies questions were based on a video not the book.  The science questions are in a workbook.  Maybe there is a book but I haven't seen one.  Luckily, math was not complicated tonight.

To help me stay on task, my daughter wrote out a schedule for me with all the places I am suppose to be and when I am suppose to be there.  So, yes, you can say I am busy.

PaD: Your favorite color

Today the picture of the day is of my favorite color - pink.  The picture it is of a redbud tree.  Now, yes, the blooms on redbud trees are not red and I don't know why they are called redbuds.  (I have had this conversation with my grandson recently.)  Redbuds are the first blooming tree of Spring in Tennessee.  The splash of pink here and there mixed in with all the bright green, new foliage was very lovely as I drove to East Tennessee this afternoon.

I don't wear much pink unless it is a brighter shade that compliments my pale skin but pink has been my favorite color since I was a young girl.  I even have a set of pink china that I dearly love.  My table is set with it right now.  Maybe a girl never gets over her fascination with pink. 

PaD: Alone

Do you see anyone in that booth?  No, neither do I.  I am sitting at a local coffee shop ALONE when I am supposed to be doing a Medicare presentation with a guy that called me to set up an appointment TWICE.

I hate being stood up.  Don't you?  It happens to me more than you can imagine.  I guess since I don't have an office and I have to meet people at public places they feel if they don't show up it is OK.  What I hear the most is, "Oh, I forgot."  Well, do you make an appointment with your doctor and not write it down somewhere?

It is partially my fault.  Years ago when I first started selling I was advised not to call to confirm appointments because people will overwhelmingly cancel if you call them to confirm.  Also, when I make an appointment with someone, even weeks in advance, I put it on my calendar and show up.  I really must start calling people to confirm their appointments.  I like my own company and usually don't mind being alone but it needs to be on my terms!  Being alone in the middle of productive work time is a waste of time and money.

PaD: Water

The word for today, Sunday, April 14, is water.  When I saw that the word "water" fell on a Sunday, I thought it would be cool if I could get a picture of a baptism today.  I was not surprised (well, maybe a little) when the pastor said there would be two baptisms today.  If you ever wondered if God has a sense of humor or cares about the little things, let me assure you, HE DOES.

I don't think the water "saves" you or why would Jesus have needed to be baptized.  I believe immersion in baptism is an outward expression of the inward repentance that has already taken place in your heart.  Being buried under the water and being resurrected into a new life is a wonderfully simple yet profound thought.  Kind of like water itself.  We take water for granted; yet, we cannot live without it.

PaD: View from your bed

After fighting the idea for months, I started sleeping with a CPAP about a year ago.  I still hate it.  What an aggrevation to sleep with a hose?  I do sleep better.  There is no argument about that.  Jerry likes it because I sleep quieter.  I do refuse to let anyone see me in the mask.  Aging is not pretty so why add to it by having a large gray hose hanging from your nose?  It is humiliating.

My sleep is also disturbed by light so I keep an eye mask by the bed as well.  When I wake up to the sun, I take off the CPAP mask and put on the eye mask.  My grandkids have become quite fond of the eye mask idea and now have their own.  That is just how we roll.

(Shout out to my friend, Lisa Dreher, whose promotional coaster is also by my bed.)

PaD: In the middle

I was born in the middle.  My sister is five years older and my brother is four years younger.  I am also the shortest with the thickest glasses.  Sort of the runt of the family.  I think because of this I have always tried harder, striving to get attention from either my parents, my siblings or just people in general.  I am driven to matter, to be heard, to be understood.  At my age, you would think those things wouldn't matter to me any more but, guess what, they still do.

Tonight is date night so my husband and I are going downtown to attend a Nashville Predators game.  I belong to our local chamber of commerce.  (Former secretary, board member, chairperson -- can you imagine why?)  Our chamber has arranged a block of tickets for the Nashville Predators ice hockey game.  We are encouraged to ride the local commuter train into downtown Nashville for the game as a way to highlight this wonderful mode of transportation available in Hermitage and Donelson.  So, I bought tickets for the game and the train.  Problem is:  train leaves too early for working folks (5:07) or next train arrives too late (7:30) to get there in time for the game (7:00).  Bummer!  

Crowds like the one tonight at the game are always a challenge for me because of my short stature.  So, tonight I will be in the middle of the crowd, in the middle of the seats and in the middle of the action.  (Preds lost 5 to 2 -- only action was one fight.)

PaD: Detail

My mom passed away last November.  Today I took care of one last detail for her -- I filed her last tax return.  She owed nothing, of course, since she had spent $58,000 to pay for her nursing home care in 2012.

I had been putting off this last act of my mother's care.  I have been taking care of every detail of her finances since our dad died in 2003.  That's ten years.  I have sweated each and every cent that went out of her funds since I knew they had to last her until this day.  They lasted.  As my dad always wished, their money and their lives came out equal in the end or almost equal.  There were a few dollars left for my sister, brother and me.

 

Thanks, mom and dad, for a life well lived in all ways including financially.  You have set a high standard for all of us.

 

PaD: A place

The place I chose for today is my garden.  I so enjoy spending time in my backyard garden.  Sometimes I just wander around checking out what is blooming or what needs to be done in the yard.  During the last few days since the weather has been over 70, the fish have started to swim in my pond.  That means it is time to get back into a routine of feeding them and cleaning out the filter every couple of days.   Daffodils that I planted last year are now blooming and they are beautiful.  There are some with a pink center that are especially pretty.  The cherry trees in the front yard are also blooming and full of bees.

It is still a little too early for bedding plants or potted veggies.  I planted some lettuce seeds in my containers about three weeks ago but I think it has been too cold on them.  I will probably have to sow another round of seeds to get any lettuce this year.  Around the end of the month, I will make a trip to Home Depot for flowers to fill my pots.  That is when the garden will begin in earnest.

I don't know what it is about this place but it just makes me happy.

PaD: Tiny

My dad used to say he could have built a wing on the church if he had saved all the money he found in streets and parking lots.  Well, I didn't find any money today on my walk to the gym but I did find this small, blue toy soldier.  He is the same kind of guy my grandson, Turner, used to stage mock battles all over my house when he was here for a visit.  I would find them days later in very odd places.

But blue soldier man was not tiny enough for today's Picture-A-Day assignment so I kept looking down and started noticing an abundance of tiny blue flowers.  They look like a miniture pansy or viola.  Blue soldier man is using the field of tiny violas as cover against the invading forces of. . .hum, crickets?  More blue soldiers?  The army of people out walking the neighborhood tonight in this glorious 80 degree sunshine?

My advise to you is not to go through life looking down for the occasional penny or blue soldier man.  Instead, look up and smile into the faces of your friends and family or the other neighborhood walkers with whom you are sharing the road.

PaD: On my plate

I love leftovers.  To me it is like being at a restaurant that only serves your favorite foods.  I can pick and choose just what I want to eat.  I love it!

Yesterday was the Odum After-Easter Family Dinner.  Since everyone brought food, I only had deviled eggs, salad and mashed sweet potatoes left.  We also had leftover pizza from last night's Bible study group.  There were also a couple of slices of Key Lime pie.  What a treat to just walk into the kitchen and serve up a salad and pizza with no planning what to make or waiting for delivery.  I love it!

Jerry, on the other hand, hates leftovers.  We had similar childhoods but since he had two older brothers maybe they ate all the food and they had no leftovers.  I can remember eating cold pinto beans right from the refrigerator.  Now, before you judge, you need to try them.  They are especially good with a little ketchup on them.  Jerry would rather eat a cold sandwich than hot leftovers.  Not me.  I love leftovers!

PaD: Dreamy

I almost forgot my photo for today because it has been a long but wonderful day spent with family and friends. We started the day early by attending church.  It was such a thrill to have our whole family there together on the same pew.  All of us except Todd, our son-in-law.  We hurried home to start preparing food since my family, most of them anyway, where coming over for our after-Easter family lunch.  There were 14 of us all together setting around two tables.  Some how we squeezed ten in around the dining table adored with lovely tulips eating off our mother's china.  To me there is nothing more wonderful than the sound of a loud family enjoying each other's company.

 

The party slowly moved to the deck where family dragged up chairs that have not been used since last fall to just sit and enjoy the beautiful warm weather and each other.  People finally started drifting away including my daughter and grandchildren who had a long trip home to East Tennessee.  It left the house quiet and the kitchen full of dirty dishes.  Jerry and I dove in and got them all cleaned and put away so we would have a little time to rest.

In the evening our friends came for our small group Bible study.  More conversation, laughter and food.  More dirty dishes that will just have to wait until Monday.

At the end of it all, there was just Jerry and I, tired but happy.  It has been a perfect day.  A perfectly dreamy day.