Chicken coop

Chicken coop
Spring

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Father Vernon

We have a dear friend, who is a priest.  It is a tough job, and he does it with such vigor and absolute joy!  A job steeped in tradition and the gems of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. 

Father gave his homily on prolife issues from cradle to grave and everyone sat on the edge of their seats, no mindless hand picking witnessed, from the youngest to the older folks, as I looked about I was amazed how everyone was hanging on his every word.  He spoke of the love of his own mother to give him life, and how life begins as all scientists agree at conception, not birth and how miraculous this GIFT of life is and mirrors the love of our Savior and God.  He spoke of the battle of good and evil and how it is our duty, each of us to support the value to all life.  He spoke of the physically ill and of our duty to them, and was specific to not denying, those able; food and water and how this is such a dangerous topic for those without a voice. 

On the ride home there was lots of life going on in the back seat, giggling, wiggling, seat kicking and generalized nonsense and I was struck with awe at the privilege that God picked me to be their mom and love them as all I can love, to teach them what is right, and to be an example to them of how to honor God in all things. 

Recently, I had an outpatient procedure and my well meaning doctor showed my husband my negative pregnancy test that is done routinely on all women preoperatively of childbearing years.  He smiled at my husband in a, “whew….you dodged the bullet this month” sort of way.  He had no idea of our missed pregnancy 2 years ago, and how both Joshua and I grieved at the loss of a precious baby that we had created in our Marriage Covenant with God.  I have been very blessed through our marriage that my own husband has been so open to all life in our household.  He has always been delighted by our news and with two miscarriages held my hand and lifted me up in prayer and presence. 

We are blessed by our friend, that visits his own parents in Brevard every year, and they so graciously share him with us.  He brings a message of encouragement and peace.  We feel a great privilege to call him Padre, friend, brother, and confessor.  These are times of moral crisis, and he is encouraging, mentoring, and yelling, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” 

Go, Father…Go!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Aunt Betty RIP 10-14-2010

My Aunt Betty passed away this afternoon.  She had suffered much the last few months as Alzheimer’s stole her mind and a fractured hip with all the associated complications took her body.  She was surrounded by her beloved husband, daughters and son.  She was loved and cherished as every woman desires, it wasn’t perfect, but it was all hers.  I think of Uncle Martin so sad to lose this woman who had given his children life, and given him friendship, love, and a relationship that made it through all the tests of time.  He is left to morn her, what she was and what she became.  Sometimes it seems that in the end in order for your mate to let you go, there must be suffering.   I carry them in my heart this day, that the Father of all has his sweet Betty beside Him in all her Glory!  Amen!

Tiea Dawn Beauchamp Simmons

Tiea will even tell you that she knew the moment we said hello in that elevator that we would be lifelong friends.  This is how our story goes.  

I have had the loveliest of friends in my lifetime.  Some I have picked like flowers from my garden and others that have picked me.  The first time I set eyes on Tiea was in an elevator at the hospital.  She was wearing a linen suit, it was summer and quite hot, she looked cool as a cucumber and she had this smile, the smile of someone that knows stuff.  Tiea was the epitome of sexy.  She had long slender legs, short skirts and high heels.  She owned every length of pearls made, and had the perfect pair for each and every outfit, and she never would be caught dead with a run in her hose.  She didn't own flip flops and she had a cat named Ted, and Ted had a cat named Bill and lived together with a crazy divorced gal with wild hair named Amanda Ruth in an adorable apartment in Grove Park.  What I didn't realize was that she did not have a bit of insulation in that place and the winter breeze would actually billow the drapes! The first winter of our friendship I nearly froze to death.  Tiea and I spent our first year as friends working the night shift.  This was how we sealed our friendship as forever as we were totally engrossed in each other’s lives as only single women are capable of.  We had no obligations to keep us from staying up late watching old movies and just hanging out as people with youth are prone to do.  You can really get to know someone this way, and this is why our young friendships have so much depth.  We cash in the time machine and whiddle away our time figuring each other out. 

After working in the ER for 20 years together Tiea had to retire due to Polycystic Kidney disease.  She is the single most brave and principled person I know and she would cut you in your sleep if you harmed one hair on the head of either of her nieces or her nephew.  She loves her family enough to live 50 minutes away from them, and forbade them to ever drop in on her, and this is something one must never due  because, " honey....it's rude you know. " Not that she ever had anything thing to hide, well most of the time anyway.  She and I were perfect opposites, and we've had few cross words and many fits of absolute laughter.  We've had the same dream on the same night, we've been accused of being lesbians, we've vacationed together quite harmoniously seeing that we never spent more than 30 minutes sitting together on the beach.  Tiea only comes out before and after the sun has gone to sleep, where I prefer to sit, in the sand like a sugar cookie with a good book and a 6 pack of diet coke.  That's another thing, she drinks Tea.  Earl Grey, Sleepy time, or just Luiaziane Tea seeped in the sunshine, for her it is always Tea.  

I've known Tiea to do just one illegal thing in her life, and that was the funniest ride to Dairy Queen I have ever had.  She later moved in next door to me and shacked up with my neighbor David, who we both love to this day.  We've had Valentines parties when there weren't any Valentines, we both love Dr. Berner our favorite ER personality and all the songs he sings and his marvelous boyish charm and the fact he is madly in love with his wife Lynn who followed him on her knees for so many years that he had to marry her.  For Dan, the unrequited love affair of the the 90's and how it broke my heart that I bear a grudge to this day.  He would never be worthy of her love, not in a million years.  For Winston the dog who needed a jock, canasta for a whole summer, knitting, walking, waxing, and the drives to the country in the Miata were just moments of time passed in each other’s company.  Of all the people I have know, she accepts me just as I am and wouldn't change a thing.  She finds my children lovable and accepts my love for my husband without complaint.  She is the very first person I called when I was so scared, as my husband lay dying with me powerless to help him.  She held my cell phone so I could close my eyes and made sure the sheets were white and perfectly clean with a cat hair in sight.  I understand that her Daddy singlehandedly won the Great War, and would never think otherwise.  She and I actually have a song….”Why do Birds suddenly appear, every time you are near.” 

I no longer talk or see Tiea every day, or every week, or every month.  She is only 50 minutes away, but in my crazy life of mother to 4, wife to one, nurse to many it is hard to find a moment.  But every once in a while it works out and we sit and laugh, and laugh, and laugh.  Several months ago, I took my son to IHOP for a date and Aunt Tiea joined us…..I looked across the table and she was looking at him with such love in her eyes, and I again remembered why she is a girls very best friend!