NEW YEAR RESTORATION

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION---

"RESTORE THE JOY TO MY LIFE"

Scriptural Basis For My Resolution-

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Psalm 51:12

I plan to pray this daily---to change my life and my outlook on the future. HE will sustain me and grant me joy and the peace that is--only found in Him.

Celebrate with Thanksgiving the many Blessings He has bestowed upon you tonight and keep your eyes upon your Eternal Future.

THE TRUTH-THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH!

I have a New Year's Resolution this year to restore the joy to my life. I have plenty to be joyful about-----the problem seems to be that the negatives in my life have drug me down and taken most of my conscious "Thinking".

SO----in an effort to restore that Joy----perhaps I need to "throw out the trash"----Get Rid of The Negatives!

It is unbelievable how the negatives in your life can over-whelm and convince you of your unworthiness. Those that are around me that are "Positives" need to be on the "Front Row" and those that pull me down and instill low self image--need to be tossed.

Perhaps it is time to tell the truth--the whole truth-----clear the slate---start anew---the world will be shocked---BUT I will be truly who I am----AND THAT ISN'T SO BAD AFTER ALL!

MAYBE even a new blog-----OUT WITH THE OLD & IN WITH THE NEW----
I am looking for a catchy title---got any thoughts?

KERFUFFLE

As the Scots would say, my life is a kerfuffle currently. God is teaching me and stretching me. It is painful at times---but He is drawing me and showing me His character. He is the Faithful One who is the "Author of Love".

A VERY SAD DAY

Two months ago today, I arrived in Erie for the birth of little Elliot. Today I flew home from Erie and left the little family. It is a VERY SAD day for me!

THE LAST ONE BITES THE DUST!

The entire family has passed around a most delightful cold and I have finally biten then dust. It could be the cold that Camille started out with and gave to Henry & her Daddy as well as her husband and then to Elliot. It could be the NEW cold that Adam brought home from his current rotation in Urgent Care last week. WHO KNOWS? All I do know is that I am MISERABLE! Can't find a drug to really help and not getting any better.

It either lets up---or I jump off the cliff! Can't BEGIN to think about climbing on that airplane this congested!

MADELINE WITH A BOUNCE

Who says Grandmas can't multi-task. While cooking the white/cheese sauce for spinach madeline for BC's office party, I bounced Elliot's seat with my foot. He LOVED IT!

HENRY & HIS FIRST GIRL

During the Thanksgiving holiday, Camille's best friend, Mary Lou came to see us with her sweet daughter, Tristyn. Henry was enamored with this "Older Woman". He jabbered and jabbered to her---unfortunately, we could not understand much of it---but I think I may be able to translate.

"Tristyn, you are truly beautiful and I could see us spending our lives together. I have many roads to travel in the near future, but if you only keep me in mind----we could be together some day. I am the man for you and you are the woman for me----I will even let you ride my choo choo first! Tristyn, with such wonderful Mommies, we could only play sweet music together. If you will be my girl, I will be your boy----Tristyn---we could be such great playmates. Hold on--my mommie says as soon as I am 18, I can take you to the movie. We are destined for each other-sweet Tristyn---just wait for me."

I will probably be in the Nursing Home by then, but will wait with great anticipation until that day!

NEW PARENT WISDOM

Tonight Adam was instructing Henry on picking up his clothes and putting them on the stairs to be taken upstairs and put away. He said with all the fatherly wisdom of a Dad with a 19 month old, "If you teach him now, when he is older, he will put things where they go and be neat and orderly." After I picked myself up off the floor, I invited him to go upstairs and look at his and Camille's room. SUCH NAIVETY!

MY ANNUAL CHRISTMAS LETTER

It's that time of the year when I have begun to receive those annual Christmas letters from friends and even casual acquintances from across the states. It's always heart warming to hear how well everyone is doing----how many awards, how much money, what perfect health--and in a nutshell how Blissful their lives are. I have decided to post my letter on this blog. This will be Volume One of a LONG DISMAL recital of what this year has held-----Stay Tuned perhaps I will bore you with the ENTIRE recount.

Seasons' Greetings!

It has been SUCH JOY to receive your long recounts of the wonderful year you and yours have enjoyed. It is really quite humbling to know idyllic perfection in the lives of you and all your loved ones

In reflection, I find my life slightly off a bubble from "Idyllic Perfection". In fact the bubble is so far from the center, that it has slipped over the edge--as I occasionally have during this fine year.

I have always enjoyed gardening and I began this year of growth with the optimism of "Hope Springing Eternal". The first planting was taken by a late Spring chill--to be exact a HARD FREEZE. Oh well---not to be dismayed--I ripped those wilted and browned plants out of the rich Louisiana soil and began again. After countless trips to countless nurseries fanned out across north Louisiana, I had the perfect mix in the ground all planted with great care and love. A VERY wet Spring found this mixture of flauna and flora floating to the top of the soil and all lying about exposed to the enemies of gardeners everywhere. The third and final planting should be the crowning jewel. With the few tender young plants that could still be found in picked over nurseries within 5 miles proved to be the final planting. The HOT AND LONG DROUGHT then set in. The plants remainded the same size all summer -even with a sprinkler system going off twice a night EVERY night and waking me from the light dusting of sleep that I enjoy. The fall comes and the perfect conditons finally arrive. The plants TAKE OFF and I find that they are so thick that the Amazon Jungle would not compare. After my SECOND thinning---I seem to have it under control. The first freeze of the Fall comes the next week and the plants all remain in wilted - brown gnarled piles as I write.

Speaking of sleep, my sleep or lack thereof has reached new lows. I am okay though as long as I get at least 2 good hours of sleep every night. The positive thing about no sleep during the night is all the hours of prayer time this has opened up. The one negative is trying to match my make up to the black shade now under my eyes.

My on-going battle with all the creatures of the forest has lead to a HUGE dimishment of the armadillo and squirrel population here in Vienna. Unforunately, this has lead to the discovery of the vacuum effect of trapping and releasing animals. The more you take off the more the vacuum sucks in. I have bought stock in the Smith & Wesson company since my armaments have tripled during armadillo season.

On a bright note, I have had my two youngest grandbabies with me for two months. Every moment has been pure joy---well except for those moments that we were changing diapers, wiping up human fluids, washing their clothes and cleaning up their messes. That would be about 5 minutes of every day that has been free to soak up the joy.

My exercise has taken an entirely new direction--that direction would be NOT exercising. One positive note is that my hips and knees do not hurt all of the time now, but I also lack the strength to get myself out of bed without a push from behind. I am glad to report that I am no longer the rear end inspector for our running group --some other turtle will have to fill that roll.

Well I find I am at the end of my paper----AND I HAVEN'T EVEN APPROACHED the long saga of my loved ones. That will have to come in Volume Two.

Merry Christmas--indeed---all of you Garden of Eden Dwellers. As for the rest of us---you will find us in the Desert of Reality!

Lora

FOR NOW

FOR NOW---I HAVE NO WORDS