As a sweet topping for a good day, the celebration for my True Love
came to a nice end with a visit from one of my preacher-man’s favorites — Darrell Waltrip!!
He is such a nice man and it was a real thrill for us.
Yes, this preacher’s wife is thrilled that her true love got such a special treat!
Thanks Lord, you are so cool!
For anyone who ever reads my writings, you’ve heard a few times about my best friend, my husband — the preacher-man! I really don’t often drag him into my expose’ world of high drama and espionage. It is not for the faint if heart, not that he’s not tough, he is! But I feel like this world I share is my world and he is part of it but his privacy is his and not mine to share. I’m sure I share more than he would want anyways but he’s survived thirty years of my big mouth and I would assume he gave that fight up long ago.
But TODAY is an important day. A day of great joy. The day that my beloved husband was born — fifty years ago. I make sure I put in the age because it seems like it has taken him forever to get there! I am two years plus older than him, ugh, and that was kinda funny when we were young but now it is not so funny, depressing in fact!
Not that age matters. It’s how you feel and there’s the rub. I feel seventy!
Funny how young we are now. Our parents were this age when we got married and they were old! Really old! I was wondering if they would live long enough for the grandkids to know them! Jeez was I stupid! Of course now I wonder if I will be around for mine, considering our kids have no marriages in sight, praise the Lord!
Now that my dearest is in the club I am sure that this new phase of life will be a good thing. He is already the wisest man I know and he always has been. Aggravating as it is, I need his smarts to get me out of all the pickles I get into. I told my sister the other day that when I met my husband he was the closest man to Robert Redford I have met! That being the scale, blonde hair, blue-eyed, strong nose, chisel chin and pretty smile. I wanted to have pretty blonde blue-eyed babies, too. She mumbled something about natural selection or some silly stuff, of course I just had in my mind what perfect was and I met perfect.
So, I snatched him up before my roommate did! She dared me to ask him out and so I did and it was the best decision I have ever made. We have been together for thirty years — a lifetime — and we have four beautiful kids and a charmed life.
He wasn’t always a preacher-man. It was about five years after we married till he felt the call to full-time ministry. I have never been more proud or more in love with this man than when he is preaching. I have full faith in him and his ability and willingness to listen to the Lord and do what HE says. In this I know for sure, I am confident in his heart toward God.
Does he makes mistakes? Of course and as his wife I am there to point them out! Ha. But when it comes to his heart toward God, I have no worries! My husband has given me a grand life, we have traveled and had experiences that I may never have had. He showed me the pathway to God as well as led me and our babies into the world of worship and favor of God. He has stood strong under great pressures and enemies and protected us when life was too much. He’s given unconditional love and grace and has been a friend.
As a man of God he has fought his demons and allowed Gods grace to keep his heart pure. A good man is hard to find, this I know. And I plan on keeping my man as long as he will stay with me. I have been given a great gift and on this day when he deserves the gifts. Anything I could buy but him would pale in comparison to the gift he has given me — TRUE LOVE!
< This is Buddy! He is a rescue dog and he likes to eat healthy! I know this because when I eat a Banana, he sits in front of me staring, with those big brown eyes….tapping his paw! Begging for a bite! Yes, he loves banana and will eat as much as you will give him without throwing it up. Now, this dog throws up everything, his dog food, water(toilet water for which he seems to prefer…gross I know but he won't touch the water in his bowl, so we gave up!) don't blame him for puking that one! He eats a bite of steak or chicken or whatever table scraps the people in my house who shall remain nameless…ahahcharles!!!! Bless me! Sneaks him. Everything he eats he will, at any given time, give it back to us on the carpet, of course. But not the banana! Yummy apparently and today yet a new discovery. I have become obsessed with fresh pineapple which is so expensive to buy. Nearly five bucks for a cored batch in a container. Cheap as I am I rarely buy it, only a splurge. One of my BFF 's will sometimes bring a big fruit bowl to our meals at church and I shamelessly go back over and over picking out the pineapple with an occasional strawberry or blueberry to throw them off…. I am very sly! Today though I had to stop in this one store for some veggies, though in pain from my never ending dental pain, which by the way….. now my bite is weird! Driving me crazy plus painful! Anyways this store had whole pineapples uncut in the covers! For a dollar and ninety-nine! Well whoop! I bought two! I knew I could figure out how to cut it and I did only to flounder myself eating fresh pineapple. Thank you God for pineapples, I know you made them look so cute for kicks but they sure are good. So while I was enjoying this "cheap" treat, there sat Buddy begging. I thought there is no way he will like this! But I had to see ….so there you go boy….. Mmmmm ! That crazy mutt loved it and after eating six pieces with no upchucks I realized he can do this all day! Really Buddy? Do you have to give me those puppy eyes… AUGH! So I guess my dog is a health mutt! I mean nut! Well he is leading me by example and if it takes this goofy mutt to do it… Once again God has a good sense of humor and the fact I have to share my fresh pineapple is just wrong! Maybe I can get him onto kiwi, those are really weird! Buddy the health mutt, what's next?…..why did I say that!!
I have no idea what I would be talking about when it comes to chronic pain.
I’ve only had five days of agonizing hurt all over tooth pain! But it has been plenty to wake me up to the fact that it ain’t no fun! I am sick of it and I realize how much time I have been wasting before this.
And shame on me for all the wasted time I have had. Shame on me for my sloth-like behavior, as if all I had to do was hang from a tree and eat fruit! What went wrong? When did I become that person? When did I give up on my life and give in to a life of laziness?
I would guess when my kids got older and I had no need to run after them. My last one kept me young. At thirty-six, he was a fun gift to us all, a joy and a blessing. Poor kid, born too late to enjoy the special war like camaraderie of being raised with siblings your own age.
I know the feeling because it happened to me too. I grew up the baby, precious to all but nobody ever wanted to play with me! They were always too busy, teenagers that had a big life, much to do! He has felt the same rejection. So recently, he informed me that his dad and I are old and he wished we weren’t because we never want to do anything!
We do stuff. Go out to eat. Go to the movies once in a while. Um, ok, I’m out! Oh boy! Reality! Ouch! I hate to admit it but he is right.
I am tired. Sadly. From what though? From doing nothing! Inactivity! This little episode of chronic pain has been real, and a real wake up call to change my life. I have a list of body parts that have jumped ship on me, why not I’m not using them! Time to get my chronic lazy behind up and get moving. I am on the verge of waiting too late. I would say, if the Lord will help me I will work every day to get active again, but that is a cop-out! He will and is always trying to help me. I just have to do it! My chronic pain will pass.
I know two young ladies that have lived their whole young lives in wheelchairs and walkers, I am humbled by their bravery. They still wait on their healing, faithful every day never stopping and continuing to live a big life. Shame on Me for giving up!
So it may be slowly, but I will do something each day to improve my life, to enrich my son’s life, to be a good example not one of self-destruction.
Chronic health and joy is my new cause, for my future and my own family.
Mercy!
Today as I still, after five days of nursing my tooth….or actually lack there of, the ultimate fear, a dry socket and the pain that will not stop. Lordy this is annoying and painful and a bit freaky because it is apparently linked to every part of my body. I nearly hurt all over. So back to the point! While in my misery and all there us to do us watch forty year anniversary episodes of The Godfather…not that I mind that, I am a huge fan! And then now on another channel is my 1970’s favorite…”Urban Cowboy”…I mean come on, a classic! Yep, mama’s don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys! I didn’t … Ha ha! Back to the point once again, the weather is going nuts…school let out early, offices are closing early, the weather people are interrupting these classic films with that agonizing sound and these words of warning….”please go to your safe place!!!” this brings me to chuckle sometimes. Not to say that we shouldn’t adhere to these warnings, of course we do. Reminds me of a few years ago, when my daughter was about six or so a huge twister rumbled through our small East Tennessee town and as we literally watched it go down past us over Easter’s Ridge taking up a big barn with it, we then went to the basement! Yes, we watched it go by, we were about a half mile away on a hill and we were somewhat shocked by it, but as we went down the stairs to basement our sweet Bethany said…”daddy do we need to pray!?”… Yes! He said and she stopped then and shut her eyes with her hands in prayer mode and began…”thank you Jesus for our food, AMEN!”…..bless her heart! She knew where the safe place to be was and I know God received that prayer. So when I hear that call I know that my safe place is wherever the Lord is. Sometimes it does feel like he takes a break from watching out for us when we see all the poor towns leveled over and over by storms and tornados, floods and snow, the worse that we have had in centuries… Wow sounds to me like something’s stirring up with him! He told us that there would be these kinds of incidents as the day approaches when he will return. Also wars and all kinds of other catastrophes! Good times! So when I hear from the news weather person… Go to your safe place! I am going along with the Lord and today my aggravating tooth pain! Stay safe everyone, prayers and peace for us all.
Sitting back at the dentist’s office once again — only three days after my ginormous tooth extraction. The pain was/is constant, which reminds me why the phrase, “hurts like a toothache!” was coined. Boy ‘o boy this is awful. Besides the fact I think he gave me six different pokes with the Novocain needle which in itself was more than I could take, okay the worst was over. Pop that puppy out and let’s leave! But NO! Let’s dig and dig and drill and all sorts of terrible noises! Only after forty-five minutes of this I have packing and four stitches! AUGH!
Who actually wants to grow up and be a dentist? Must be a sickness to withstand the hatred that us common folks have for their chosen profession. My fragile heart could never do it– have so many folks dread even the thought of me.
So he finishes the job — numb, I am for hours. Lord I despise that gauze they put in there. I am a gag looking for a place on most days anyway, weird smells and all. I spend the day on pain meds and all the grossness of tooth extraction. By the next day I think I may live only to get twelve more hours down the road and OWIE! The pain in my jaw!
“I put four stitches in so we won’t need to worry about a dry socket,” he states as I am comforted. The very words are nasty to hear I think. Whew, good news though. Which brings me to this morning and after a night of up and down, pain and sleep deprived, I make the call. Humiliated, I am whinny — probably just a big baby! They tell me to show up in an hour. I feel awful. Now I gotta go back only to find out my worst fear — the dreaded dry socket.
Okay I may just hurl thinking or even writing about it. So he washes and pokes and smears some more nasty stuff in there, more gaggy gauze. Come back tomorrow!
WHAT!
So what was wrong! I had stitches! That’s not fair!! Grrrrr!
He hoped he had kept it clear of that but no. It happened anyway, oh joy! No wonder I hurt.
Dang, I had four C-sections, I am tough. No Sir-e-e! This is the ultimate pain. No truer phrase has ever been coined — hurts like a toothache!
All I need now is the bunny ear bandage wrapped around my head!
I have a song in my heart but it’s not one of joy, its of sadness.
Today, a beautiful young woman made a step in a new direction with her life.
I am not so sure it was the right one but it is her decision — a move far away from home.
The Beatles sang it best — “she’s leaving home, bye-bye”! Such sadness in the lyrics and makes me cry when I hear it but today especially! That’s my girl. “We gave her most of our lives.” The song is a haunting reference for us moms and dads who watch their children fly away like baby chicks out of the nest.
I am not sad actually for her to leave, it is for everyone to find their place in the world but if she was more prepared, etc. it would feel better. Being my only girl, it feels worse. She is bright and smart and smart-mouthed like her mom! And has my whole heart wrapped up in those blue eyes.
It’s hard when you see yourself in your children, like your life passing before your eyes only without any control, like a roller coaster out of control. I do know that she is protected by the Lord and HE will be there when I can’t. This is all I have to fall back on and I am thankful it is because really it is all I need.
If I have not conveyed the point well enough, let me say aloud — I miss my girl — and so does our scruffy dawg! He will sit at the bottom of the steps and watch for her return, patiently keeping his post for the day she steps back in sight, when he sees her blonde hair come up the stoop. He will be there with his first alert — the shrill bark of a longtime friend.
And right behind him her Daddy and I will be there waiting too!
Poor spring!
Here you are coming out all over the place, only to probably be zapped in the face with wintertime!
Here in the South this happens. We fear the dreaded snow and ice and power outages and “black ice!” and when it doesn’t happen, slowly but surely spring starts showing it’s pretty face. First on the scene are the teeny, tiny little crocus, so small they are looked over. Tough kids they are, they peek out even when there is snow and always a signal of more to come.
Next up are the “yep I’m here” buttercups! S-o-o beautiful! I am astonished at their beauty. I so love them. They make me happy. Not to be confused with the happiest flowers on earth, my beloved Daisy! Yet nearly as Great. Every year those precious bulbs force themselves up thru the ground to become the vibrant yellow jewels of spring.
I have been tempted more than once to jump out of the car and “borrow” some! There is a field near my home that is full with rows and rows of these special flowers, which reminds me of the ones at my old home place on the farm. Such sweet memories. I actually, if the truth be known, did borrow a handful from The Great Smokey Mountains National Park about thirty years ago!
It was the first time my new husband took me through Cades Cove and there they were – loads of them. I couldn’t help myself! My hubs was driving the getaway car and you could only go about ten miles an hour! Some thief! Back then I could nearly run faster. Pre-childbirth and might I mention four kids and before mom jeans! I was still in my Calvin Kleins for pete’s sake. Needless to say a VERY long time ago! So yes, I have stolen from a National Park, I am not proud which reminds me not to stop on the side if the road and snatch the pretty spring wake up calls!
Actually I only want to spare them from a sure death because we never get away with an early spring — that keeps. It will snow or frost or freeze the little cups and saucers. (Willie Wonka visual.) Shrivel them up. Sad little joyous flowers. So, poor Spring, you are fun while you last and when you actually come to stay awhile, short as it will be because summer will slam us, zipping to 98 degree’s immediately!
AUGH, it’s the circle of life. One that never gets easier the older I get. Just tryin’ to enjoy the ride!
P.S.: I did snatch the beautiful pic from a friend of some TENNESSEE buttercups. We have the best!
Funny how things work out… You spend half a day looking for a car title that you know for sure you have in your possession only to still not find… Lose the sale of the vehicle because of the “lost” title only to get a call later in the night from a family member whose transmission just spilled out all over the road. He needs transportation, gotta be at work in the morning this guy can’t seem to catch a break and keep it for very long! But, thank the Lord we still had a vehicle he could use. Funny how that happened! Well, not being a mechanic…we know all the fluid is gone…spraying everywhere, is it a hose or the whole shootin’ match? I have no idea, this vehicle, Big Blue… Has been on it’s last leg and in the realm of grace on the best day….. it comes as no surprise. And of course he just put his last thirty bucks of gas in! Oh boy! The obvious part is that I didn’t sell the car because he needed us to still have it, tonite! Wow Lord, what are you up too? Are you listening to this family members prayers and not ours? Nope, I know the answer.. You provided for us and now we are able to provide because of you, to him. Elementary my dear Watson! I could do without so much late night drama though! So goes another day in the life of this preacherswife….the more I know the less I know, sometimes I think this life is one big serendipity day with a splash of kowinkie dink! Geeeez!
preacherswifeintheknow 