Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc.
My first day of being Sophia Ruthann’s Grandma was filled with mixed emotions. The day started super, super early, it began with a tremendous amount of anticipation.
Then, excitement grew from the depths of my soul and joy filled my heart. I was so elated bursting with excitement and happiness that the moment had finally arrived when Sophia graced us with her presence.
And by the end of the day exhaustion set in and a whole nother set of emotions consumed me. I was drained of energy, extremely tired, and filled with sadness. Sadness because I felt like I wasn’t needed and jealousy overwhelmed me. I felt like my daughter was depending on her coworker to assist with her every need and I was just in the way. Too exhausted to say anything, I kept silent and sat there watching and waiting for my turn to hold my precious new granddaughter.
Dealing (or rather not dealing) with 🖤 emotions, keeping everything hidden inside I’m absorbed with intense internal pain and jealousy, not understanding how I (my opinion only) could be sidelined and made to fell unimportant in the grand scheme of Sophia’s birth and life.
#Daily Prompt-2151
God Bless. Thank you for visiting, listening, and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Unfortunately my dad at my current age was no longer among the living. He passed on to the next life in Heaven at the age of sixty-seven (67) and seven (7) months. If he’d lived longer he would be taking photos and traveling with my mom to places around the United States of America.
My mom would have been a widow of two and one-half (2 1/2) years. She would have been dealing with grief and going through my dad’s belongings and deciding what to keep, what to sell, and what to give away. She would have been working as a secretary for a church office and teaching a Sunday school class. She would have also taken her dream trip to Alaska via a cruise ship and touring various places in Alaska. She would have continued to read her daily devotions and read her romance fiction novels.
Something on your “to-do list” that never gets done.
There is something on my “to-do list” that has been a dream of mine since 2019 or maybe even earlier. The one thing that if ever possible ( which so far hasn’t been) would be to travel across the United States tent camping in State and National Parks in each of the forty-eight contiguous U.S. states.
Pixlr AI Generated Image
As I imagined traveling through the various contiguous states I hoped I would be able to visit relatives in some of those states, like Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Texas, Nevada, and California to name a few. I have wanted to visit family gravesites for my ancestors and pay my respects even to those I have never actually met in person, but only know about via family connections and ancestral research.
Pixlr AI Generated Image
I would have the time now except for the fact that my daughter relies on me to watch and care for my grandson while she works. The one thing I’m not sure about is the transportation ( I currently do not have my own vehicle). I have considered traveling by train across America getting on and off at specific destinations (or as close as I could possibly get). This may or may not occur, but it is still on my “to-do list” of things I would like to see happen.
Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.
U. S. National Whitewater Center
The U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, North Carolina has the largest the world’s largest manmade whitewater river and has outdoor activities all year long. Besides the Whitewater River area, the Center also has 1,300 acres of protected woodlands along the Catawba River. No matter your preference, the Whitewater Center offers a wide range of recreational opportunities to intrigue your interest for a fantabulous experience in the great outdoors.
I have not done many water sports since my younger more limber and flexible days of my youth. What does perk my interests in visiting the U.S. National Whitewater Center are the forty (40) miles of trails designed for mountain biking and trail racing. You don’t have to ride a mountain bike or race on the trails to enjoy them. The 40+ miles of trails are a great opportunity for hikers as well. The trails are shared by hikers, runners, and bikers at all times.
The trails are natural surface and wind across the 1,300 acre woods of the Center. The trails run along the Catawba River and through hardwood and pine forests. The use of the trails are free not requiring an access pass, however, the Whitewater Center does charge $12 for a day parking pass and $40 for an annual parking pass.
Parking legend & Off Leash Facility Trail Map
I think Coleman and I would enjoy hikers some of the various trails at the WhitewaterCenter given the opportunity for warmer weather, costs and transportation to and from the Center.
For more information about the U.S. National Whitewater Center and what it has to offer click here .
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays?
Special dishes for the holidays? We have not had any particular special dishes for the holidays in a very very long time. In fact, we have not had large family gatherings since before my maternal grandfather passed in 1968. I used to love going to my maternal grandparents home and not just for the holidays. My grandmother was a fantastic cook and I learned a lot from her. I wish I could remember everything she tried to teach me. Oh if I would have had the insight and forethought to ask more questions about her life and to take notations regarding all the wisdom she tried to I still, it would be wonderful.
This year’s Thanksgiving gathering (probably couldn’t really call it a gather) consisted of just Coleman and myself. His mom had to work. My sons and my daughter do not get along right now, so they were not invited (probably wouldn’t have come anyway.)
Did I let it only being Coleman and myself hinder me from preparing a fantastic fulfilling Thanksgiving meal? No, I did not. By the time I could manage to be able to go to the store for a turkey, all the small turkeys were sold out. I had wanted a small turkey, after all Coleman and I didn’t need a large one especially since he doesn’t like to eat meat. That meant only I would be eating the turkey and his mom when she got home from work.
Instead of a small whole turkey (sold out) or a small turkey breast (sold out), I cooked a Turkey tenderloin with carrots and petite potatoes in the crockpot and let them cook all day long. When the turkey, carrots, and potatoes were almost done, I began cooking sweet potatoes and seasoned Brussel sprouts in the oven. (Coleman loves his vegetables). I also baked crescent rolls (Coleman’s choice) in the oven to go with the meal.
My Thanksgiving dinner plate
After discovering what I thought was a pumpkin pie turned out to be a sweet potato pie; I made lactose free banana cream pudding with vanilla wafers for dessert. (Coleman is lactose intolerant so the dessert needed to be special for him.) I used his lactose free milk to make the pudding. After it thickened, I scooped the banana cream pudding into small individual size Tupperware containers and place four wafers around the edges of the pudding.
Lactose free Banana cream Pudding
Coleman really enjoyed eating his baked sweet potatoes, petite potatoes, carrots, and Brussel sprouts. Oh, I can’t forget he enjoyed his crescent rolls and his lactose free banana cream pudding.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and listening about our Thanksgiving Holiday Meal. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
I, personally, do eat meat. However, it is limited in quantity and no red meat at all. I stopped eating red meat after having a bout with uterine fibroids. The doctor did not recommend anything to help treat or prevent further complications. I did some online research into the subject and discovered that red meat could hinder and possibly make them worse. Therefore, I stopped consuming red meat. I do eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Now, if you ask my grandson about his feelings about eating meat he will flat out tell you he does not like meat. He loves any and every kind of fruits and vegetables, however, he will not eat meat of any kind unless it is plant based meat. Even though he will eat plant based meat, he prefers to only eat fruits and vegetables.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
I would have to say my favourite hobby/pastime is Reading. Lately I’ve been reading three books 📚 at once. I read Amish Fiction, Inspirational Fiction, Romance Fiction, and Mysteries. I am currently reading an Amish mystery, and two other mystery novels. I am reading one in my Kindle app, one in my iBooks, and one in my Glose app. My current reading streak is 280 days in a row, 52 weeks in a row. I read each novel for a minimum of 25-30 minutes per day.
Reading helps me to relax and unwind from any stress or anxiety in my day. My other favourite pastime is hiking, but that is a story/post for another day. Reading is something I can do while my grandson watches his favourite show or plays with his toys. Sometimes he interrupts my reading, but that is alright; I will always make time for whatever he needs.
Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.
A few days ago, as Coleman and I were walking home from the museum we encountered a stranger. Normally we/I wouldn’t think anything about it, but this time was kind of different. We usually ride the city transit back and forth from our home to the museum or library or the YMCA, but the city changed the bus routes which made it take four times as long to get anywhere. On this particular day we rode the bus to try out the new routing system. Instead of a fifteen-minute bus ride to the museum, now we had to get on one bus (the pink line) and wait for it to run half of its route to take us to the station where we had to transfer to another bus (the blue line) to take us to the museum. Before the city transit system rearranged the bus routes we only had to get on the blue line, ride a short fifteen minutes and we were at our destination. We decided we didn’t want to ride the bus for over an hour and a half to get back home, so we decided to walk home instead. This day just so happen to be one of the hotter days we’ve had lately. However, it wasn’t raining as of yet. This year it seems to rain several times a week every single week. It is a two mile walk from the museum to where we live. we walked a little over a mile when this stranger, whose house we were passing in front of, asked us if we would like a ride. I do not normally accept rides from people I do not know, but it was a little hot and Coleman was walking with me. I thought about it for a few short minutes and decided to take this elder gentleman stranger up on his offer. It was a good thing too, because shortly after we arrived home it did begin raining. Upon getting in the house, I told Coleman that the stranger had just performed a good deed. Sometimes the kindness of strangers is like angels unaware watching over us.
Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?
The item I am most attached to from my youth is a stuffed monkey. Yes, I said a stuffed monkey. It is not just any ordinary stuffed monkey. It is a vintage red and white Mr. Bim The Monkey rubber face plush toy. I’ve had him since I was about five years old, (I really do still have him.)
The Mr. Bim The Monkey was a plush toy made to resemble a real chimpanzee from the 1947 children’s show Howdy Doody. (As a sign note, I still have a 45rpm with the Howdy Doody song.) In the 1950’s the Rushton Toys Co. produced a chimpanzee plush named Zippy Zip, which became popular with children. Mr. Bim Monkey stands roughly 18 inches tall. The majority of the 1960’s Mr. Bim the Monkey plush toys were black and yellow with red suspenders with a yellow banana in its right hand. The red suspenders had bells attached on them.
Above shows Coleman holding my Red and White Mr. Bim The Monkey. He is over fifty (50) years old. His suspenders have broken due to lots of love and play. His bells have long since vanished and he is a little dirty from lack of cleaning. However, he’s been a faithful companion throughout the years.
I did not own a computer until around 2005 or 2006, I’m not sure exactly which year. It was given as a gift to aide in my ancestry research. I also a card program on it to make my own cards, postcards, and magnets.
The computer was nothing like the laptop I currently own. It was old and bulky having several wires to connect to the keyboard and the internet via a wireless hotspot on my phone.
The computer was a beige box shaped computer monitor with an upright Pentium-equipped tower computer manufactured by Gateway. I do not recall if it was installed with Microsoft 95 or 98. I do know it was slow at times but it worked and I had never owned a computer of any kind before. I never even used a computer until my oldest son was in high school and the high school is also where I occasionally used a computer.
A pizza-box form-factor desktop computer manufactured by Gateway, circa mid-1990s [wikipedia]
When I received the Gateway computer I was also given several discs and the instruction manual. Among the discs were several which helped with my ancestral work, Plus an encyclopedia and other learning resource discs.
At the time of owning the Gateway computer I only owned a very basic phone, I think it was a Nokia possibly the Nokia 3220.
Nokia 3220 Similar to my first cell phone
Times have changed, advances have been made, and I have learned and adapted to the technological changes and advances over the years.
I currently own an HP laptop and an iPhone smartphone. Technology and I have come along way over the years. Does one ever forget their first computer or first anything? Maybe, maybe not.
Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.
דבורה
Currently I go by Deb more often than not. It is a shortened version of my given first name of Debbie. The name Debbie is a nickname for Deborah. However, it is not a nickname for me, but instead it is my given name.
The above name is the Hebrew spelling for Deborah/Debbie. In Hebrew it is the name Dēvōrah, which means “bee” or “swarm of bees.”Another meaning for Debbie/Deborah is one who has strong desires and aspirations.
Debbie embodies qualities of diligence, social connectivity, and a vibrant spirit. Historically’s, the name Debbie is associated with women’s empowerment. Biblically speaking, Honey and honeybees are used as images to convey God’s love, strength, wisdom, things of great worth, and even references to Christ. In the Bible, Deborah is the name of a prophetess and judge who led the Israelites to victory over the Canaanites. One can learn more about Deborah in the book of Judges in the Old Testament.
[As a side note, when I was in college I knew several people who were studying Greek and by assisting them while they studied I learned to spell by name in Greek, Δεββι. Afterwards I would often spell my name using the Greek lettering instead of the English letters. I liked the way Debbie looked spelled Δεββι.]
The name Debbie/Deborah gained usage among English Christians following the Protestant Reformation. In particular, it became significantly popular among the Puritans. The name became a popular choice for American parents and also for fictional characters. In the United States, the name was extremely popular between the 1950’s through the 1970’s.
Personality wise, Debbie would signify you are strong in material matters, determined and stubborn. ( I guess this means I come by my stubbornness naturally.) You have a good business ability. You are a good worker, steady and practical, a builder who takes responsibility well. You are a doer, down-to-earth, serious-minded, reliable and self-disciplined. (I’ll need to remember all these personality traits if I ever decide to apply for another job.)
Personally, even though I’ve always known Debbie was another form of Deborah, I always hated being called Deborah/Debra while I was in school and would insist that that was not my name.
Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?
Do I play in my daily life? Probably depends on what is meant by play. What says “playtime” to me? I am not sure and haven’t really thought about what “playtime” in my current state of my life.
According to Merriam-Webster, playtime is a time for play or diversion. Play has several different meanings ranging from playing games, recreational activities, to toy or fiddle around with something, and/or to act with special consideration so as to gain favour, approval, or sympathy.
When I first thought about the aspect of play in my daily life, I thought about playing games like solitaire, monopoly, rummy, and that sort of thing. However, play can entail more than just games people play whether they’re children’s or adult games.
Realizing play is more one tends to ponder more intensely and wonder whether or not some behaviours could be construed as play. Do you play with a person’s emotions? I think we all might whether we intend to or not.
I know I’ve sought to gain approval for work I’ve done, sought affection by seeking attention from those I care deeply about.
Now concerning “playtime,” for me “playtime” can be hiking with my grandson, playing catch with him, or simply spending time collaborating on a puzzle or a relaxing activity like visiting a museum or a Greenway.
How does play/playtime differ in your daily lives?
This quote from medishare.com implies that the greatest gift we can ever receive is salvation, but that is not all we receive.
I agree that Salvation is not the only thing we receive from God. He freely gives us love, grace, mercy, understanding, compassion and many many more intangible gifts.
Still others would tell us the greatest gift we can receive is love.
“Love is the greatest gift that God gives us each day when he loves us enforcers His Son Jesus Christ to die for us.”
The greatest gift is your love is an expression that emphasizes the value, significance, and importance of love in our lives.
This reminds me of a song from the mid-sixties called “What the World Needs Now.” It was first recorded in 1965 by Jackie DeShannon and by Dionne Warwick in 1966. It has been recorded by many artists over the years.
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of What the world needs now is love, sweet love No not just for some, but for everyone.”
Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David (genius.com)
What more can we give to others than what God gave to us, His love. We can spread the love to everyone we meet and share God’s love to the World.
What colleges have I attended? I have attended several colleges over the years. My first attendance at a college was the fall semester after I graduated from high school.
The first college I took courses at was San Diego Mesa College. It is a public community college located in Clairemont Mesa in San Diego, California. It first opened its doors in 1964. The college offers 196 associate degree and certificate programs. When the college first opened it offered education to 1,800 students and now it enrolls more than 20,000 students each year. I attended Meda College beginning in the Fall of 1974 and attended through the spring semester of 1975 before transferring to another college. This first college I enrolled in general education classes and had not declared a major.
When I transferred from San Diego Mesa College, I transferred into Biola University located in La Mirada, California. Biola University was founded in 1908 under the name of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. It is a private, nondenominational, evangelical Christian university offering a Biblically Centered Education. The university offers more than 300 Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral programs both on campus and online. I attended here beginning in the Fall semester of 1975 and continued for two years through the Spring semester of 1977. I had planned to study nursing at this university, but I did not do very well comprehending the science classes mandatory for the program. This was the first time I lived away from home. I enjoyed the social interaction more than the discipline of my studies. It was an experience I will never forget and am thankful for what I learned while attending this university.
After struggling to maintain grades and dealing with being a go-between with my parents I chose to transfer to a college closer to home. Therefore, I transferred to Christian Heritage College (CHC) in the Fall of 1977. I attended CHC for three years studying secondary education and graduated in May of 1980. CHC is on a different system than the other two colleges I attended. The first two are on a semester system. CHC is ( at least when I attended) on a system where you take one class extensively for three weeks instead of a full class load of 5-6 classes all at once for the whole semester. After the three weeks you begin studying a new class and continuing in this same format for the entire semester. One still takes the same amount classes Syria semester as in other colleges just not all at the same time. This format enabled me to concentrate on one subject at a time and I was better able to comprehend the class material. While attending CHC I also worked part-time. Previously I only worked during the summers in between school years.
Several years later and after my children were grown, I went back to school attending York Technical College. York Technical College is a public community college located in Rock Hill, South Carolina. It is a member of the South Carolina Technical and Comprehensive Education System. Its mission is to make higher education accessible and affordable for every resident of South Carolina. During my two years with York Technical College I studied Accounting and earned an Associate Degree. I took courses both on campus and online. The online courses were available and convenient for me to take especially during the times my car wouldn’t run or I didn’t have a working vehicle. On test dates it was necessary to find transportation to the campus in order to take the exams. I learned a little during my tenure and greatly inundated knowledge and abilities.
The Year is 1956, a leap year of the Gregorian Calendar. It was a time for Rock and Roll and Elvis Presley’s hit song “Heartbreak Hotel.”
Besides Elvis and Rick and Roll, 1956 was a year for nine pop culture inventions. These inventions included:
Certs — Breath mint or candy?
Dove Bar — chocolate Dove candies introduced on the south side of Chicago
Elvis Presley — Heartbreak Hotel debuted in January for RCA and in September he made history on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Play-Doh — modeling clay introduced by a soap manufacturer in Cincinnati. [What I didn’t know is that it was originally meant to be a wallpaper cleaner.]
The Price is Right — Hosted by Bill Cullen ran in both daytime and prime time television.
Robby the Robot — a sci-fi bot built by Robert Kinoshita. He later crafted the Robot for Lost in Space.
The Shopping Mall — The Southdale Shopping Center in Edina, Minnesota opened its doors beginning with the 1956 holiday season. It was the world’s first enclosed climate-controlled shopping mall.
Ski Soda — A citrus soda created by the Double Cola Company of Tennessee five years prior to Sprite.
Yahtzee — First marketed as Yahtzee in 1956 by Edwin S. Lowe. Fifty millions copies of the game are sold each year.
The Cost of Living was vastly different than it is today. The cost of everything was lower, however, the wages were also much lower than today’s standards. Was it easier and less stressful in 1956? Maybe, maybe not. When incomes go up so does the cost of living, therefore the same struggles continue. Here’s a look at the 1956 Cost of Living percentages:
Yearly Inflation Rate — USA 1.52%
Yearly Inflation Rate — UK 4.7%
Average Cost of a new house — $11,700.00
Average wages per year — $4,450.00
Minimum Hourly Rate — $1.00
AverageMonthly Rent — $88.00 per month
Average Cost of a new car — $2,050.00
Gallon of Gas— 22 cents
Ground Coffee per pound — 85 cents
On a more personal note, for the year 1956, my parents were living in Great Falls, South Carolina just up the road from my paternal grandparents. My dad was working for the Ford Dealership in town. Even though he owned a car, the town is small enough he could have walked to work. My mom was pregnant with me through the first five months of the year, choosing to give birth to me in the city of Chester, South Carolina. The town of Great Falls did not (and still doesn’t) have a hospital. My brother turned three a couple of weeks after I was born.
The town of Great Falls. South Carolina in 2020 had a population of 1,951 and the population was that much more in 1956. The town was originally known as Catawba Falls in the early 1900’s and was a great trade route. It was originally established to generate power from the nearby waterfalls. It was a booming mill town at one point and in 1956 my paternal grandfather was working in the #3 mill for the Republic Textile Company. Great Falls is located fourteen miles southwest of the city of Lancaster, South Carolina.
From 1956 through 1958, my family spent much of the time with my paternal grandparents, aunts and uncles. They would fish in the nearby Catawba River near the Great Falls Dam, picnic in the town park, and attend church meetings and other activities.
My biggest challenges is something I don’t really think about, but maybe I should.
Day to day challenges would involve raising my grandson. Trying to teach him right from wrong, trying to teach him to follow simple instructions ( which he tends to ignore and can be frustrating), dealing with his hyperactivity ( it’s like he’s the energizer bunny without an off switch).
Then there’s the financial challenges trying to make ends meet and sometimes struggling to pay bills. Trying to meet my own needs and still help my daughter in providing for my grandson’s needs. Maybe I shouldn’t help her so much, but I can’t help myself in providing what my grandson needs.
Thankful that I have little to no health related challenges other than some allergies and seasonal sicknesses which are very few.
Other life challenges could involve friendships (or lack thereof), lack of direction/motivation, lack of meaning/purpose, love ( or lack of a love relationship), and possibly stress. However, I don’t let most things bother me. I have strong opinions on some things and not everyone agrees with me, but am I gonna stress over it? No, it would do me more harm than to just let it go.
One way I cope with things is to write down my thoughts. Some of those I share here and others I keep to myself in a journal ( in an actual book, not online.) I loose myself in books, I can imagine being there with the characters as everything is transpiring. I feel sad, happy, excited, and all sorts of emotions when I am reading. It is a way to destress, relax, and rejuvenate the mind and body.
These are the top five items that we use most frequently. The Lactose Free milk for my grandson. He goes through about a gallon and a half per week. My preference and my grandson’s is the Oatnut bread. He does not care for other types of bread, The Bisquick I use to make Coleman homemade waffles for breakfast a couple Tonya week. We also use an egg for the waffles and for homemade French toast. My grandson won’t eat eggs any other way. Most of our suppers are made with ground turkey or fresh chicken.
What are your top 5 grocery store items? Looking forward to seeing what’s on y’all’s lists.
The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium is our favorite place to go to in our city, however, the most favorite place we love to go, and hike is in a town called Fort Mill. Fort Mill has many interesting places to visit where you can hike, or just enjoy the scenery.
The place we like to go and hike the most is called Anne Springs Close Greenway. The Greenway has five (5) different points of entrance and one can hike any one of the many trails on the 2,100 acres of nature preserve. The trails cover thirty-six (36) miles of hiking pleasure for hikers, runners, walkers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders to enjoy. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.
Whenever we are able to visit the Greenway, we like to enter at a different entrance point every time. Visiting different entrances gives us access to the many different trails and beautiful scenery accessible at the various locations. The most popular entrance is the Lake Haigler Entrance and is used by guests frequently. The entrances are:
Lake Haigler Entrance/Greenway Gateway – activities my include hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, paddleboarding and fishing (free for members only, must have an SC Fishing License), or enjoy a meal at the Canteen. A new children’s playground is being constructed at this entrance.
Points of Interests: Greenway Gateway (Visitor Center), Gateway Canteen (Dining), Bruce Rush Pavilion, Historic Nation Ford Road, Kayak Launch, Swinging Bridge, and Scoville Dock.
Dairy Barn Entrance – hiking, close to the main Suspension Bridge and the Greenway Spillway.
Points of Interest: Founders Dairy Barn, Betsy McLean Plant-A-Row for the Hungry Garden, Comporium Amphitheater, Faires-Coltharp Cabin, Graham Cabin, and Swinging Bridge.
Adventure Road Entrance – hiking and mountain biking, fishing (members only), disc golf, dog park play (Add-on membership required).
Points of Interests: Bob Reid Field Trial Barn, Lake Crandall, Lake Frances, Marion Walsh Outdoor Classroom, Mary Warner Mack Dog Park, Stumpy Pond, Swinging Bridges (3).
Greenway Stables Entrance – hiking, horseback riding (Advanced registration required), visit farm animals, a new children’s farm is in process of being constructed. Coleman loves to visit the many horses and farm animals at this location.
Points of Interest: Greenway Stables, Farm animals
Blue Star Entrance – Mountain biking and hiking
Points of Interest: Garrison-Webb Grist Mill, North Tunnel
I encourage y’all if you are ever in the area to stop by and visit the Anne Springs Close Greenway. Beautiful Nature Preserve, Wildflower Garden, and many amazing sights to see and photograph. My grandson, Coleman, and I love to visit the Greenway any and every opportunity we receive. I highly recommend visiting.
Who is the most famous or infamous person you have ever met?
The most famous person I ever met wasn’t famous when I knew him and his family. At the time he was just my pastor, the head of our church. While pastoring the church I grew up in he also wrote many books 📚. For every book he wrote; we listened to a series of sermons on the book 📖 prior to its publication. He wasn’t as famous as some other authors or other people, however, knowing an author personally when I was a child was still pretty amazing in my opinion.
Who is this person you might ask? The name of the most famous or infamous person I have ever met was Dr. Timothy Francis LaHaye. He was better known as Tim LaHaye. He co-authored the Left Behind Series with Jerry B. Jenkins. He wrote more than 85 books some of which included “How to Be Happy Though Married,” “Spirit Controlled Temperament,” “How to Win Over Depression,” as well as the “Left Behind Series.” He also co-authored prophecy books with Craig Parshall and Thomas Ice.
Tim LaHaye served as the Senior Pastor of Scott Memorial Baptist Church in San Diego, California for approximately twenty-five (25) years beginning around 1956. Under his ministry Scott Memorial Baptist Church grew extensively and later was divided into three locations. The three locations included the original site in University Heights on Oregon Street, One in El Cajon on Greenfield Drive, and one in Poway. [It was in 1963, when I was seven years old, that Pastor Tim F. LaHaye baptized me.]
During his tenure as Senior Pastor of Scott Memorial Baptist Church; Tim LaHaye founded Christian High School in 1965 and later in 1971 founded Christian Heritage College (now known as San Diego Christian College). Both schools began on the University Heights location on Oregon Street and later relocated to the El Cajon campus belonging to Scott Memorial. Other activities and involvements for Tim LaHaye was helping to establish the Institute for Creation Research in El Cajon, California (currently located in Texas) along with Dr. Henry M. Morris Sr.
In 1981, he left the Scott Memorial and the pulpit to concentrate his time on politics and writing. That same year he helped found the Council for National Policy, an extremely conservative and powerful organization which was a policy making think tank. Also, during the 1980’as he founded the American Coalition for Traditional Values and the Coalition for Religious Freedom. Later on in 1998, he founded the Pre-Tribulation Research Center along with Thomas Ice.
LaHaye is best known for his writings in the Left Behind Series. The Left Behin Series is a series of apocalyptic fiction that depicts the Earth after the pretribulation rapture which Premillennial Dispensationalists believe that’s when the Bible states it will occur (I do not desire to get into any debates regarding when the rapture or any end time events will happen). Even though Jerry B. Jenkins did the actual writing of the Left Behind books the whole concept and notes for the books belonged to Tim LaHaye. The first book of the Left Behind Series was published in 1995. There are twelve titles in the adult series and the juvenile novels, as well as audio books, devotionals, and graphic novels.
Everyone may not know who Dr. Tim F. LaHaye was (he passed in 2016), and even though he became well recognized due to the Left Behind Series, to me he was just my pastor during my childhood and youth years.
Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).
The answer to this question would depend on one’s definition of personal. According to Merriam Webster, personal means of relating to, or constituting personal property; intended for private use or use by one person. Keeping this definition in mind, furniture would not apply to being the most expensive personal item which I have ever purchased since it is also used by other members of my family.
When I was in high school, I would state that the most expensive personal I purchased was my camera, a Minolta XG-7 35mm with a 50mm lens, a 2x converter, a telephoto lens, and a flash attachment. However, we are talking about the here and now and not in the past. At this present day and age, the most expensive personal item I have purchase would be my current camera of usage which I bought back in 2012. I purchased the Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens, the Canon EF-S 55-250mm lens and a Canon camera strap bundle from Costco. I have since added the Canon EF 75-300mm lens and an Altura for Canon macro wide-angle fisheye attachment.
My camera is certainly not the newest model out there (even though it was at the time I bought it), but it serves me well and I enjoy using it tremendously.
This is a really easy question to answer. I currently do not listen to any podcasts of any kind. I tend to read about any subject I am interested in and would not be able to concentrate on listening to any podcasts. I am not a person that can multitask effectively, so I do not even try. I cannot even read and listen to music at the same time because I would be too easily distracted by the lyrics to efficiently concentrate on what I am trying to read.
God Bless. Thank you for listening and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
Do I need time? Time for what one might ask. More time in a day? No, I do not think I need more time in a day. I really wouldn’t know what to do with more time in any given day. At times day seem extremely long and boring as it is, however, I would not want to change the length of time that is considered a day.
Some might want more time for sleep in a day, but I do not sleep more than four-five hours a night as it is. My mind continuously flows and sometimes I have a hard time getting to sleep. Then again, at other times I fall asleep when I am trying to read.
Do I want more time to travel? Not really, what I would want is more money so I could afford to do the travelling I so desire in my heart to accomplish.
More time to read? Not really. I read as much or as little as I would like now. I read whenever and wherever my heart desires now so there is no need for added time.
Do you need more time? If you were given more time, what would you accomplish with the additional time?
Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home.
I always considered traveling the distance from the west coast to the east coast to be the longest I had ever traveled from home. I have traveled many times from Southern California to the Carolinas many times throughout my lifetime. First, as a child with my family growing up to see my paternal grandparents and later on, on my own to visit my paternal grandfather and my dad’s brother and sister and their families.
Thinking about the place which might be the furthest I have ever traveled from home, I began to wonder the actual distance in miles of places I have traveled from home to calculate where the furthest place from home I have traveled to.
After my calculations and deliberations I discovered that the furthest I have traveled from home occurred in 2020 before the pandemic lockdown was initiated.
At the beginning of 2020 I was still processing the deaths of family members which happened in 2019. I was lost and searching for whatever and wherever my life’s direction would be. I was at the time living in a tent in a local campground. I saw a post of Facebook from Monica, my sister-n-law’s sister, asking for someone to share a cruise to Mexico with her. I decided why not and sent her a message agreeing to share a cabin.
Initially I was at a loss on his to pay for it and what all it would entail. She made it sound so easy and agreed I could pay after after I arrived in Texas. The reason for the delay was I was waiting on approval and payment from the Social Security administration regarding my spousal retirement benefits. I also had to wait for my passport to arrive in order for me to be allowed to board the cruise ship out of Galveston, Texas.
In late January of 2020 I boarded a bus in Charlotte, North Carolina. First, however, I drove to my daughter’s apartment to leave my car there and then she drove my to the bus station to await my departure.
The bus trip took my from Charlotte, NC to San Antonio, Texas (approximately 1,231 miles) for the initial leg of my journey. This was the first time I had travelled long distance by bus. Normally I drove across country using a rental vehicle. The bus trip was not too bad. I actually had a seat in a row all to myself so it was not crowded and I could stretch out (the best one can on a bus) if I desired.
The bus stopped at many locations along the route and took approximately 32 hours to reach San Antonio. It was necessary for me to transfer buses in Houston to complete the trip to San Antonio. From San Antonio i boarded yet another bus to take me to San Marcos, Texas (another 58 miles) where Monica had agreed to pick me up and take me to her home in Canyon Lake (an additional 27 miles) to await the date to leave on our cruise.
Monica’s home was not as I had expected and I couldn’t hardly wait for the day we would board the cruise ship. I did get to sightsee a little bit in New Braunfels, Texas. There I walked around sightseeing while Monica went to a couple of appointments. New Braunfels was the closest shopping area from her home.
Finally, the day arrived to head to Port Galveston to board our cruise ship. The drive from her home in Canyon Lake to Galveston was 255 miles and took approximately 4 hours and 20 minutes. I was ready to depart long before Monica. I think I was a little anxious about arriving on time but also excited about the adventure I was about to embark upon.
Getting a late start from her home I was worried we would be late arriving at the port. I hoped we would not miss being able to board. I did not want to miss the cruise. Thankfully we were not too late and were processed (passports and identification checked and verified) an able to embark aboard our cruise ship, Enchantment of the Seas.
The cruise was full of amazing entertainment, food, and many activities for one’s participation. Surprisingly, to me, Monica chose to stay in our room instead of watching the entertainment or eating meals in the dining room. Everything was exquisite; the food was delicious, the service was amazing, the entertainment was spectacular. I could go on and on, it was incredible.
Our first port we docked in was Cozumel, Mexico. At this port Monica didn’t feel well and remained on board the cruise ship. She did not mind my going ahead and disembarking to look and the port. I saw many shops ( not far away as it is a tourist destination).
This was a 5 day cruise with stops in Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. We were at sea for a little more than a day before reaching our first destination of Cozumel. Even though Monica stayed on board, I enjoyed myself walking around the port visiting the shops and just wandering around the area. Back on board the ship for another day at sea before reaching our second port destination of Costa Maya. I was never board while on the cruise ship or in port. There were so many options to choose to participate in including a walking track on the ninth deck. I try to walk everyday and walking the track was a good option other than walking up and down the stairs to get from our cabin to the dining room, or one of the various locations for entertainment.
Aboard the Enchantment of the Seas
In Costa Maya, I was surprised, Monica joined me in disembarking the cruise ship to walk around the port. I think she actually relaxed and enjoyed herself somewhat.
The entire trip one way was approximately 3,171.1 miles to reach the destinations for my cruise adventure to Mexico. Would I do it again? Maybe someday, however, the cost for a single person is rather high. All cabin prices a based on a two person occupancy. Therefore if a person doesn’t have anyone to share the cruise with you have the entire amount as an expense. I did enjoy the cruise and had a lovely time visiting the ports, watching the entertainment and devouring the delicious meals.
Thank you for listening and sharing your time and thoughts. I know this was rather long winded. I didn’t know how to make my adventure far from home into a short story.
I blog because I can. That’s a simplistic answer I know. In all honesty, I blog as an outlet for release of my thoughts and feelings. I used to right my thoughts down in a daily planner, needing a new planner every year, but then planners get packed away, misplaced or simply forgotten.
By writing my thoughts and feelings into my life and my surroundings it helps to analyze and take an accounting of my own actions. It is therapeutic for me just like my need to be out in nature hiking and photographing the landscape & the world around my very existence.
For the past 405 days I have consistently posted something on my blog. It might have been a short response to a daily prompt, an entry for a photo challenge, or a post about something meaningful to me. This is the longest streak I have ever had of consistently posting blog posts.
I enjoy posting a little bit about myself and my surroundings. I am enthusiastically enjoying participating in the many various writing prompts and photography challenges. What about you, why do you blog? Looking forward to reading what y’all post next.
Lesser Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosa)
Stay true to yourself. Share your stories, your photos, Share a small piece of your world. It only matters to you (or me) what each of us decide to post on our blogs. Blog as much or as little as you desire. It’s all up to you.
What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it?
I search online all the time. I’m always to identify different animals, especially butterflies & dragonflies, as well as various landmarks and landscapes.
The last thing I searched online for was The Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis). I was searching to identify a butterfly my daughter sent me a picture of. Curious to know what kind of butterfly it was, I did an google image search. Upon doing the google image search I discovered it was an Hackberry Emperor butterfly. I also discovered, thanks to www.inaturalist.orgthat it is a North American butterfly belonging to the family of brushfooted butterflies, Nymphalidae.
Choosing my top ten favorite movies is something to contemplate, not something I think about on a daily basis. I’ll try to list them, but not in any particular order.
Top Ten Favorite Movies:
The Sound of Music
Mary Poppins
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
It’s a Wonderful Life
Miracle on 34th Street
Fiddler on the Roof
Back to the Future
ET
An Officer and a Gentleman
A Christmas Carol
These movies I have watched several times, the Christmas movies I watch every year just before Christmas.
What are your top favorite movies? Looking forward to your responses.
What Television shows did I watch as a kid? Let me tell you, back when I was a child my brother and I mainly watched whatever our parents chose to watch on the television. Most of the time we did not have a chose, a say, a vote in what was going to be watched at any time of the day or night. With that being said, I’ll let you know what was being played on the television in our home. Sundays after church if the tv was on my mom watched sports, e.g., baseball or football. My dad preferred NASCAR races, IndyCar races, basically any kind of car races. Sunday evenings after evening church services we watched The Wonderful World of Disney. During the weekdays after my mom got home from work, she either watched soap operas or game shows. when my dad got home after supper the news was watched and then we watched shows like Little House on the Prairie, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, or other western style shows. However, if there was a sports program on in the evening then my mom got the privilege of watching whichever sports program she desired.
To this day I still watch the older shows like Perry Mason, Little House on the Prairie, Fall Guy, The Six Million Dollar Man (Which I am currently watching), Ironside, The Rockford Files, Magnum P.I. (the original version, Star Trek, Happy Days, Charlie’s Angels, Gunsmoke and other shows from the 70’s.
My favourite time of day is in the late late evening after everyone else goes to sleep. It is extremely quiet and peaceful leaving an uncanny feeling of tranquility.
The late late evening is when I am best able to think, formulate and write my thoughts and ideas down. It is when I am able to contemplate what photos I would like to use and am able to construct a satisfying blog post. It is also the most peaceful and efficient time for me to upload photos from my memory card to my computer and sort out ones I wish to discard and which to keep.
It is also the time when I am able to read without any distractions or interruptions. It is a quiet and relaxing time period for me and that is why it is my favourite time of the day.
When I think of Peace I remember the song “Peace in the Valley” I used to hear song in church.
Peace in the Valley by Jim Reeves YouTube Video
Peace in the Valley to me is having faith in God through Jesus Christ. No one and nothing else can bring me peace but Jesus. No matter what I’m facing, what troubles lay before me, I know that Jesus is always here with me and will give me the peace and understanding to see me through.
“ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
If you were going to open up a shop, what would you sell?
The main object I would sell if I was going to open up a shop would be books 📚. Mainly I would sell used books 📚. I love books 📚 and would like being a facilitator to many people’s imaginations through the reading 📖 of books 📚 I would maintain. I would encourage others to come and buy, sell, or trade books 📚 to help enhance their enjoyment of reading.
I have boxes 📦 and boxes 📦 of books 📚 in storage that I would use to help start setting up the shop. The shop would be in a small quaint town filled with awesome people whom I hope would love reading 📖 books 📚 and the fascination to explore the many wondrous experiences the would enjoy through their imaginations.
I would have a wide selection of Amish, Mystery, and Romance fiction. However, I would seek to provide a wide variety of books 📚 across all genres.
In my bookstore, I would also like to encourage authors to come and set up displays for book signing.
I do not think I’d ever be financially stable enough to actually open a shop, but I can imagine and dream.
I tend to not listen to music too much anymore. When I worked outside the home music played in the background but I didn’t pay it hardly any attention.
When I was younger I would listen to country music throughout the day. Nowadays if I listen to music it is most often Southern Gospel music.
For me, music is a distraction and prevents me from concentrating on my task at hand, especially if I’m working on a blog post or reading.
This is one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite local Southern Gospel groups; “Long as I Git King Jesus” by King’s Cause from Lancaster, South Carolina.
God Bless. Thank you for listening and sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.
There are two activities I participate it regularly which would make me lose track of time. One is Hiking and the other is Reading.
Hiking is an activity I enjoy participating in, sometimes with a group, but mostly just with my grandson. He loves the outdoors and enjoys hiking. He has been hiking with me since he was 1 1/2 years old. We go to various Greenways and State Parks to hike. When we are out in the woods in nature we hike until he gets tired. His endurance is amazing. Sometimes we are so enthralled with enjoying our environment and the beauty of God’s creation that time is of no importance. A planned hike for an hour can end up being for three or four. We do not rush our hikes; instead we simply enjoy our hikes and being in nature with each other.
Reading is an activity I enjoy and keeps my mind active and alert. I read everyday, sometimes not just once in the day but throughout the entire day. The minimum amount of time I spend on my daily reading is thirty minutes. Most of the time I read for longer than that especially if the book is extremely captivating. The more engrossed I am into the story, the more deeply I am entranced and lose all track of time. At those times, I keep reading even when my body is telling me I should close the book and go to sleep.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
That there is an Almighty, All Powerful, All omnipotent God.
Jesus died on the Cross and Rose again.
The Bible is Absolutely True.
Life is not Fair.
Death is ultimate.
Every one has a Free Will.
Life does not last forever.
Heaven and Hell are real.
Freedom is not Free.
All are Created Equal.
These are things I believe to be true and certain. I could list many more things of which I am certain, however, I will stop at the requested amount of ten.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and listening. I appreciate y’all.
Surgeries, Have I had any? Yes, I have had a few surgeries. The first one I know about was a tonsillectomy when I was around seven years old. I do not recall much about it, except for knowing I had the surgery to remove my infected tonsils. The next surgery that I can remember was for a Laparoscopy. This was a selective surgery I chose after my sixth pregnancy, which would (and has) prevented me from getting pregnant again. Even though I had six pregnancies, I only gave birth to three living children. The third and last surgery which occurred was after an accident in 1996. That surgery was to fix a broken leg. During the surgery a titanium rod was inserted to connect the bones and enable me to walk. It took months for me to regain the use of my leg, but it has been fully healed and i am able to hike many miles with my grandson nowadays. I do need a future surgery, but not sure when it will occur. The future surgery will be to remove cataracts from my eyes, the first being my left eye which I am almost blind causing me to rely on my right eye to see practically everything. This problem, however, does not prevent me from my photography, hiking, reading, or blogging.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.
Today’s Daily Prompt is asking what our favorite genre of music happens to be. I know mine has changed over the years. I enjoy a variety of genres including jazz, classical, pop, classic rock (from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s), country, blue grass, and gospel. At the present time my favourite genre of music is southern gospel. Some of my favourite southern gospel artists include Ivan Parker, The Revelators Quartet, Kings Cause, and Russ Adair. I also love to hear Randy Travis sing southern gospel and country.
God Bless. Thank you for listening. I appreciate y’all.
If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be?
If I were forced to wear only one outfit over and over again it would not be a problem for me. I would wear my favorite pair of blue jeans, my favorite Til Valhalla Thank You Vietnam Veterans Remembrance T-shirt and my hiking boots ( if I needed shoes). Why wouldn’t I wanna wear was comfortable and meaningful over and over.
God Bless. Thank you for listening. I appreciate y’all.
Practicing religion is different than living a life of faith. According to Oxford, Religion is the belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods. It also has 2 other definitions: 1) a particular system of faith and worship; 2) a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.
When I think of religion, I think of Catholicism, Protestant, Baptist, Methodist, and a few others which are all subsets under their banner of Christianity. I think of Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam. There are many different versions and belief systems under each of the basic religion categories.
I would not say that I practice religion, I would rather state that I try to live my life based on my faith in God and my belief that Jesus came into the world to save me and bring me to an everlasting relationship with Him. I believe that Religion can take away the closeness that God wants us to have with Him. It is more important to have faith and believe in God than it is to be caught up in the rituals that many religions practice on a regular basis.
My life is by no means perfect or what some would call religious but that does not mean that my faith and belief in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are not real. They are very real. I believe that God answers prayers. His answers may not be what I’m looking for, however, that doesn’t mean that He does not answer. I trust in God. I know He provides for me, protects me, and will never leave me.
God Bless. Thank you for listening to me. I appreciate y’all.
I lose myself in reading for at least thirty minutes everyday. Once a week or more I try to get out in nature and lose myself in the woods. Mind you I don’t actually get lost. I just enjoy communing with nature and enjoying the wonders of God’s amazingly beautiful creation. When I’m reading a book or hiking in the woods, I’m able to release any stress from the day or week & am able relax and thank God for the positives in my life thereby not focusing on negativity.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. I appreciate y’all.
Who do I spend the most time with? The person I spend the most time with is my grandson, Coleman. I take care of him 24/7, so he is always with me. It is extremely rare if he is not with me. Do I wish I had other companionship? Yes, but for the time being that seems very unlikely.
Coleman is my hiking buddy. I feed him, bath him, read to him, and try to take him places that he would enjoy. Most of way he likes to go is anywhere he can hike and be outdoors. Recently, one of his favorite places to visit is the Schiele Museum. He loves to visit the Dinosaur Exhibits.
My grandson, Coleman
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. I appreciate y’all.
Beginning as a teenager I had a stamp collection which included United States and World stamps. Collecting stamps and placing them in the stamp album is something my dad and I did together. We would go to coin and stamp shows and look for ones we might like to add to our collections. Those are fond memories. I still have my stamp collection. I was given my dad’s stamp collection after my mom passed. It is one of several things I treasure, not for what it is but of the memories made with my dad.
Besides looking at stamps to our collections, I would look for postcards that I might like to add to my postcard collection. Whenever we would go any where whether it was a coin and stamp show, a museum, or on a trip across country I would purchase postcards to add to my collection. Some of the postcards I would use to send to friends and others I would add to the album where I stored my postcards. I have two photo albums that hold my collection of postcards. They remind me of places I’ve visited. Some of them are special in a different way, they are ones that used to belong to my maternal grandfather. What makes them special? The pictures on those postcards are of some of my maternal ancestors. Others tell the story of my maternal grandfather’s time in the military during World War I. They are special because they help tell the history of my ancestors. I will always treasure them.
Currently, I do not collect anything except for memories. Since I’ve grown older, I find the memories I make with friends and family (especially my grandson, Coleman) are more precious and valuable than any tangible item I could ever collect.
God Bless. Thank you for listening and sharing in my memories. I appreciate y’all.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 