(Disclaimer) In no way am I implying that slavery is good or that I know anything about the horrific life of a actual slave in previous years in our country or even the present years in other countries; it’s the most terrible horrible no good demonic fate of any person. So there is no comparison to that of a grandmother….except me! (Stick with me here, I have a point!) If you are the grandmother of only one grandchild and she is a she… and turns twelve today… then the comparison, no matter how ridiculous can be found.

Our(MY) Ellie is twelve years old today and her life has been a great joy to me personally. And she is the child of our(MY) only daughter who grew up in a pack of three boys of all I love dearly. But the daughter was different in every way and now her daughter has held me captive all these twelve years! The moment I saw her I was dead… the awe of that baby that came from my baby.. well IYKYK! At that point I realized I was doomed. Whatever she wanted , needed, wished for or even slightly looked at was hers. All of my common sense went straight out the door. All my mother’s brain left me, all those teachings and laws and rules I had shoved on my children were no longer the rules, I had Mamaw brain now and I became one of those people who got put in a trance by a magician… “yes master, I will obey!”

I became a slave, willingly I would give over lock stock and barrel to this tiny little baby girl without one thought or logical notion how dumb I was, and I still am… dumb! I was blessed to have her with us the first five years… pure heaven! (There were a few dark years that we do not speak of, their adventure to Florida, it was fine, they were fine… I was not fine! But I lived and prayed them back home, thank you Jesus for that answered prayer!) I regress…. The days were filled with playing and tea parties and painting and drawing; going shopping for just whatever she wanted and what we wanted for her.. she was always good( well behaved mostly) and when the threat of a wooden spoon on the bottom came ( which never happened) eventually we noticed they all came up missing( only to find them hidden under the dinning table stuck up in the nooks and crannies!) yes our precious girl has learned the art of getting away with murder!

She was funny all the time and if we thought she wasn’t she would say..” it was a little funny, Papa!” And we were dead! She could control the very atmosphere and we knew we were sunk! She always had a song in her heart… always…always humming or singing or dancing to the song she sang. I knew the Lord had given her that. This little girl would need that and it was His gift, she has a good attitude most of the time( her mom my say different at times, but she’s the mom, that’s the life of the mom!) I do not say that because I’m the Mamaw and she’s perfect! A fact that I have learned to regret, this little sparkle fairy can hold her own in a conversation!

There are not enough words to describe her but she has all the list beautiful, sweet, funny, endearing, faithful and truthful( very truthful, don’t ask her if your outfit is good, she will tell you it’s not!). But she also embodies another list ….love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, this is the greater list, and I pray she stays full of the spirit of the Lord her whole life life.

I admit it, I am a slave of the best kind, of my own choosing, I have told her that if any of her uncles get married and have a baby she will be doomed.. she knows I’m lying! She is and will always be the top of the pyramid for me. ( by the way when she was little she imagined a pyramid and would let us all know who made the top, it was rarely me! Usually her uncles, never her Mom, she also has a cruel side too, we overlook it mostly.. fiddle-Dee-Dee). As a parent you can’t imagine loving anyone more than your own kids and I was the worst about that, my kids were my world but here comes this little sparkle fairy twelve years ago that changed us all! The Lord knows we needed her and her resilience and her laugh, she made all our lives better. That little girl gave all of us a hope we needed and a joy that never ends.

On her birthday I still am amazed by her and she is the best of her Mom, my beautiful little girl who through her life has given me the same joy and laughter and love that I’m so thankful for, her birthday is eight days before her baby, she feels pushed aside I’m sure but she endures it gracefully because she knows she has the best little girl too! I am thankful to the Lord for her and her faithful light that shines through her daughter and they both are the most magnificent woman I’ll ever know!

Our children are gifts from the Lord, I believe the grandchildren are the blessing that we don’t deserve but He gives us to see how lovely our lives are. We are living in a world that He created and He loves us and He wants the best for us, our Ellie Rose is just that. Happy Birthday my sweet girl!

There are a few days in my life I seem to feel like I’m in the middle of a huge plot, as if my life is swirling around me and I’m just standing there with popcorn…. Watching… waiting… realizing that it’s very little about me and mostly about a great big plan. It’s a good plan, one that is meant for my good. I have lived a good life and up un til now I have been especially blessed to not have suffered too many tragedies; I have had my fair share of hurts and dissatisfaction with mostly myself. Days like this make me reflective of how far I’ve come. I’m usually too stubborn to give up and thankfully that can be said about we Americans!

Tomorrow is the two hundred and fifty year birthday of our country, land of the free and home of the brave. I was not there at the beginning but I do remember the two hundred year celebration in 1976, I was a junior in high school ( I’m old) and it was a big deal. The whole town (Murfreesboro, Tn) was red, white and blue! There were parades and such and I’m sure that politicians were equally as boastful about this tremendous event, but I do remember everyone being on the same page with all the pride and amazement we made it this long as a free and beautiful nation.

This year we are in 2026( I’m even older) and I see a huge gap in the pride and amazement. Apparently many Americans have forgotten… the legacy we have and the privilege we have to be born into this great nation. It’s no big mystery why everyone wants to live here. We are a huge family where everyone is welcome and here is a piece of apple pie! I still believe it’s possible because I know how we got here, I know who made a way, who inspired and influenced the founders of our young republic.

What grounds me is this belief in the true and good, God is God and we are not and that is the best news. I know what a chicken I am. All the people (mostly men) who came before us who left safety and fought for the land they love to keep us free. Those men way back when made the ultimate sacrifice while the women kept the home front admirable in their own right (thank you menfolk, I take back any dumb man jokes, sorry about that, yall are pretty cool for that!) my own father, brother and two nephews served and this country would be long gone had you not stepped up!We are forever grateful for the protection you gave us all.

The other blessing in my life is my family. I am from strong stock, my family raised me to work hard and be a good person, I am of Scotch-Irish decent and very loved and I knew it. I came from a strong legacy and that is important to a kid. When I grew up I married a good man from a good family, his family also has a strong legacy. Deeply rooted in the Lord for which I was not raised. It was different and new for me.. my heart was open and my head caught up. The fruit of the Spirit runs deep in his family, love, joy, hospitality, kindness as well as the other nine. From day one they took me in, they treated me like I was one of them and created a way of life that I deeply longed for. I am forever changed by their love for the Lord and the love for my preacherman and me.

The preacherman is fourth generation in the (Church of God) preacher’s world and it is an honor to be his wife. I have even felt this more strongly since we moved back “Home!” If feels there has been a shift in our world and I have a suspicion or more of a confidence that the Lord is up to something and it will be fun to watch.. once again here I stand, popcorn in hand, watching and waiting. During a recent family funeral of a patriarch of the family, I was in awe of the deep roots in our family and the honor and love that each one had for the other; the reputation of a fine man remembered by all and too soon there was another. This home going was harder in some ways but as I observed the love in this part of the family; the support and the caring each daughter and their families had for their Mom gave me such joy. Those girls married well, they are all fine men and all their children are full of love for their grandparents. They lost their solid rock, but just for a little while because they all know they will see him again. It’s been said that Christians die well and I have seen evidence of this fact. It’s not easy and my vote is that it doesn’t happen any more.

This girl who has been blessed by this family will be forever grateful to them and even more the Lord.. He is our legacy!

The word “INFLUENCER” is a popular word these days, many people go to great lengths to become influencers on the Internet just recording daily life. People have actually been able to monetize it to the point,  that it is all they do…it is their job! I find that a bit humorous, since we women and especially Mothers have been doing this for years! Living and doing and creating and I just don’t remember getting a special paycheck for it…..but maybe I have?

Women have been influencers as far back as the beginning of people…anyone remember EVE? …And her ill fated moment with a unfriendly serpent who whispered in her ear…”oh come on go ahead…eat the apple!”  She did and then proceeded to hand it to ADAM…..who ate also! Maybe this isn’t a great example of a “good influencer” but, non the less it happened and it has been happening ever since. 

What we say and even more importantly what we do has a great influence on so many others. It is a heavy head that wears the crown and we women and Mothers are in direct line to help or hurt, our husbands, our children or anyone  we know. This is why we must live every day in the will of Jesus, to keep Him close in our heart, leaning on Him every single day….with out which we will surely stumble.

The Lord has called us to be “influencers” for the good, to follow Jesus, to work as a help mate to our husbands, to train up our children in the way they should go…so when they are old they will not depart from it, to be a friend to the friendless, to bring kindness with  a soft word or gentle hug to those in need. On any given day we are called upon to be like  Jesus to people we meet or work with or even stand in line at the grocery store.

We have the potential to make some one’s life more livable with a smile or just to say we care. Many women in my life and church have influenced my life in the nine years we have been here….to hug and say, “love ya much” or “ love you lots” or to correct me in love or be my friend. These are the influencers I want to be around, those that actually  pray for us, that are there to support us and love us. These are the influencers that the Lord raises up. Do they/we get it right every time? No, just like Eve we make  bad decisions or turns, or our attitude needs a little adjustment,  but when needed the Lord is there to catch us and encourage us and keep us from falling. 

So  to honor all the women in our lives and if you are not a mother you are not off the hook!, even you young girls especially teens listen to me….what kind of influencer do we want to be? One that lives for Internet “likes” or the kind that helps a sister out, encourages her and helps her find the Lord and grows old knowing she did what was right before GOD, even though the fruit of that may not be seen yet, when we stay in Him, we have the hope and the confirmation that our Lord will get it all worked out. He is our comfort and our shield, and no weapon formed against us will prosper! In tribute to you all….

 Don’t forget—we are women created in the image of GOD that give not just life…but abundant life. WE are caregivers, teachers, prophets…preachers…and leaders! Women who fight and struggle and pray and believe , who have HOPE and Faith and the courage to face off any demons that would attempt to overtake our families….DO NOT FEAR THAT SERPENT….he gets it in the end!

 For all the Moms and Women in their wide variety and many forms…. WE GIVE THANKS AND PRAISE TO GOD

For my sweet Mom, my Granny Maxwell, my Granny McKnight, my daughter Bethany and most precious granddaughter Ellie; my sisters, Sharon, Janice and Ann, my Aunts; Ornella, Nancy, Lois, Doris, Billie Ruth, Rene, Ruth; my cousins Susan, Nancy, Cindy, Naomi, Lisa, Tonya, Renee and Kim. Many friends thru the years and my best teacher ever, Mrs Maude Chrisman from Murray School … I did get blessed and I have a legacy of love and the confidence that I can be a strong women. That’s better than any paycheck!

Virus-free.www.avast.com

I left my house, I drove my car, I went to the store, I worked at my job!!! This was the best day to be had.. for me….a total chicken and despiser of weather especially SNOW. Sun is the only real acceptable weather that any reasonable human should allow…. If only this were possible! I braved up and left my house… creeping down my snowy driveway…creeping along my street… only to get to the main highway to see..black top!! Woohoo! What a great sight!

As I have stated I do not prefer SNOW, saying it loudly as if anyone who knows me could ever wonder. In case I ever forget(not possible )the Facebook reminds me every year showing me signs I have written in the snow stating “I hate snow!” Over and over every year I make it perfectly clear, it’s on the Facebook so it’s obviously truth! This one fact you can rely on… it is truth! I started January attempting to make friends with winter, I really tried but it only took two weeks until winter hit! even when it snowed, I took pictures of the gorgeous Redbirds, the snowy trees, I showered everyday, made my bed, cooked hot cocoa, etc etc, but by the fifth or how I remembered it Day 105! I was done… all bets were off, it was never going to end!

Today though, after I braved the snow.. for which I do believe I should get a medal! I mean okay I am not a first responder or a grocery store owner or HVAC worker or nurse, they do deserve a medal so I am not comparing myself…at …all, but maybe …no I’m just kidding! Although I will say I really wanted to talk! To someone..anyone…. I ran by the store for essentials, toothpaste, and oddly folks didn’t seem as chatty and cheery as I was, I am assuming they have had to drag their selves out in this horrible weather everyday taking care of the rest of us. I am humbled. So I just smiled and left them alone.

Freedom is a valuable commodity… I can’t even imagine not having freedom, on the regular, not being able or allowed to go and do whatever you want. All those people who live in a world that is not free, Jesus help them, wether it be their own fault like a crime or because they were born or married into a life of confinement, it must be horrible. Also the poor folks that are sick or older and unable to go out. I am humbled! I have no excuses. I’m also a tad bit spoiled…No wonder I am a chicken, I have always been one, I’m rarely brave enough to put myself in a pickle.. as a latch key kid, I grew up watching tv movies showing the worst possible things happening. Nope not for me… as a child of divorce I knew I never wanted to be in a position to not have a voice( I’m truly blessed on that one) and being a Christian is probably the only fight I would defend and stand up for, with the exception of if my children were in a pickle.. that’s when this Mom would go to battle, and I have before.

Freedom is one thing people have fought for so all of us can be thankful. I of course exaggerate usually when I write or in my everyday life. (Rarely take me too seriously folks!) I’m mindful of my place in the scheme of things, I do my part no matter how small. Today is only January 22, more winter to come I am sure of but it’s also my big sisters birthday for which I honor and pray she is blessed.. she loves the snow and kept calling me out for being so whinny… she’s one of those people who had to go to work even though before she retired, so because she is able to stay home safe and enjoy the beautiful winter scenes, she was full of joy. I’m humbled.

SNOW-vid ‘24 has done its best! Eight full days of keeping us all trapped. Well played winter, well played. It will be about 60 days until spring for which I know it won’t all be over, I’ve been teased by winter before, it’s a tricky season. Looking forward to what’s next, I’m pretty sure I will have something to say about it, I tend to be too chatty in case anyone didn’t know? Most folks just led it ride, I’m not made that way.. it’s my world and y’all are just living in it, remember?

The winter is one of those seasons that I try to, well… overlook. But that is an impossibility because on days like today, I suppose in honor of MLK, Jr day just being a national holiday wasn’t enough, the universe decided to “bless” ( she says cringing) us with a whole load of SNOW! Most people are thrilled with this fact, all my school teacher friends are loving life and giggles all day( they are dead to me now), every adult that still has that childlike joy for glorious snow are living their best lives(they are dead to me now) and there are all those precious children who still have hopes of a day filled with snowmen, snowball fights and snocream for which some will grow up to become teachers or adults with childlike hearts still( all of which are still dead to me!) it’s a conspiracy I say!

Further more.. I have the nagging feeling that this is only happening to me, yes I said it, this tragic awfully cold frozen tundra is all to torment me. In case no one realizes it.. it’s my world and y’all are just living in it! The world really does revolve around me! Also my super kind husband who I think used to love snow but has abandoned that cult and come over to my side. All four of my adult children hate it now also, working jobs and having to drive in it tends to do that. We are the only ones on earth that rebuke the insidiously awful “blessing” of snow. There surely cannot be snow in heaven?

Maybe I need to read up on that, are there books? Is there a holy scripture that describes frozen water in heaven? Surely not….. I think that Europeans don’t even use ice in their drinks( not that I have ever been, but I read) so my rationale is that Jesus was born in Nazareth and that’s in the neighborhood of Europe so leads me to think ice is not a thing.. there… in heaven. Okay I got that cleared up, good! So my need to hate snow must be a basic fear of all things cold… which of course is a basic life pattern for a person of my age for which I wear sweaters, a good invention for that. There is never any need for snow in my life especially one that covers the whole world ( my world I mean) when even the roads are impassable which hits all my being trapped phobias..stuck without a way out… it’s only Monday and I’ll be itchy by Tuesday nite to drive somewhere but it appears this snow is determined. Huge flakes, packed in high and tight!

I am sure that I may be the most ridiculous person in the world( my world) but this is normal for me. My brain is old but my heart is full of silly and when life doesn’t go the way I expected it to well…. I just have to laugh and try to make the best of it. Even trying to interject my inner Lorelei Gilmore (The Gilmore Girls) who can smell snow coming, who loves snow and who makes it seem wonderful …nope, I still don’t like it! This stuff snow is a natural part of life on earth and even living in the nearly most southern part of Tennessee doesn’t help, as a matter of fact we got the most.. how and why is that possible? We live closer to the beach than ever before.. only six hours away.. a mere short car ride yet here we are with it piled up… and yes I have googled to find pretty towns in northern Florida! But …. It is Florida so that’s not a good choice.

So far so good, our heat is still working and the electricity is still on so I have hope we will ( in my world) live through this snowmaggeden! I will just sit here and take pictures of red birds and woodpeckers in the snow .. they are pretty but I will keep fingers crossed for an early spring, looking on the bright side that this kills all the mosquitoes and bugs for summer. Soon enough my bulbs will sprout and the worst trouble in my world will be weeds in my flower beds. I guess I live in a pretty good world after all! Now for hot chocolate!