It’s time to highlight the importance for every woman to ask your friends, sisters, daughters, mothers, co-workers and neighbors (basically anyone that is female) if they have had a recent screening. Just do it. Since writing the 2018 blog, I’ve had a neighbor and my bestie who is now cancer free due to early detection. I have friends that have been diagnosed and are currently in treatment that continue to be in daily prayers.
I just wanting to share that I had mine today. But also give a gentle nudge to you all to not get too busy or let the pandemic interfere with a life saving screening. Love to all.
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I have taken a long break due to a thousand things that I’ve allowed to “get in the way” of sitting and writing; but Twenty 2.0 (the year 2020) just takes the cake. So many stories, changes, separation, violence, deaths and daily news events that can just make you crawl under a blanket and only crawl out for food and water now and then. But, we can’t live that way. Keeping our eyes open and ears hearing, we must care about ourselves without being selfish and, do the same for others. 2020 is chalked full of valuable lessons that will cause us to learn about the importance of who we are, if you let it.
As I wander back down the road of 2020 that leads me here today, I hope to single out some stories of gladness,thankfulness, and some deep rooted lessons that 2020 has brought to the table for me.
January 2020 started all about impeachment. Turns out, it was also the unraveling and division of so many family members and friends … all because of politics. What? We’re adults here and with it, there should be respectful adult conversation regardless of opinion. But sadly, no. In Twenty 2.0, I’ve seen division; of family members, friends, neighbors, churches, etc. who embrace a side of an issue and if others aren’t embracing that side with them, they literally are done with you. To quote Thomas Paine “To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.” So again, I must go to DEAR SELF, Don’t get worked up over things you can’t change. Add that to deep rooted lessons category.
January also brought a winter break at the grandthrees school, but, they had homework. So while parents work, Sweetie is on deck. It was appropriate that the oldest (he was 8) was memorizing William Shakesphere’s “Friends, Romans, Countrymen”. Therefore, I revisited these famous words as well… ‘yet Brutus is an honorable man’
In January, I also got my first speeding ticket in 40 years! Just cruising to some classic rock N roll on my way to have lunch with a friend and whizzed right by the officer on that fine motorcycle. I was guilty…..it had been gloomy and rainy but not that day; the sun was shining, the day beautiful, music, lunch with my friend and a foot made of lead.
February 2020 brought an awesome SuperBowl along with our semi annual glamping trip. Glamping with the besties is part of the “Dear Self”. It’s the last part, Let Go! When you have a consistent friendship for 30+ years, memories that are filled with joy and meaning, that’s hang your hat on Gold! We have solved and discussed many many problems and situations around the campfire at night with a cloudless sky with the billion of stars God holds in place. Let’s put this under ‘thankfulness’ part of 2020.
February closed out celebrating my Dad’s 92nd birthday. Although he officially retired from the pulpit, preachers never really retire. He’s there ever week enjoying sermons from the new pastor and getting to sing. (this is a big thankfulness!)
MARCH 2020 ….. it all started getting real. Corana what? Here? March is a serious birthday month since my daughter had 3 kiddos 2 years and 10 days apart! Oh, and is married to a March man. With a CPA Mommy and IRS deadlines, my daughter is super organized and planned all kids party together and early in March. Good dang thing too! Check out the post on https://www.instagram.com/p/B9x0LkKJg_n/?igshid=13sxltz1pqykv Yes, everyone had a great time but fun times were coming to a screeching halt. The toilet paper hoarding had begun! Just after parties, cruiseliner passengers were arriving at one of San Antonio’s AFB; some already ill and others OK. This virus was officially called COVID-19 and as I complete this sentence today, there have been 202,000 tragic deaths in the United States.
It was the 17th of March that schools closed and distance learning began. I was involved up to my elbows. Of course, we are all thinking this is just temporary…a few weeks, right? Do you remember? I certainly do because here it is, late September and many schools are still closed and learning is distant.
APRIL 2020 was a blur, seriously. I had to look back at pictures on my phone to see what happened. Oh yes, schools talking of the new normal, a ton of “how to’s” on making your own mask, becoming my husbands barber, cancellation of travel plans of anticipated family coming from Atlanta, learning zoom to talk to family and friends, big bar-be-que for party of 2, lots of pool time and ordering groceries online. I’m not sure what category this goes into …. Let’s just leave it in the “it was a blur“.
MAY 2020 brought the death of George Floyd….2020 just kept unraveling. By the end of May, with social distancing well in place and COVID illness and deaths well on the rise. But, I found both happiness and thankfulness spending massive time with the gift of my hubby. We spent dinner outdoors, listening to jazz, a glass of wine and talking; we took long drives for hours – talking, laughing and singing. Continuing to cultivate and nurture a mutual healthy relationship is essential in all relationships – with God, your spouse, parents, siblings, children and friends. That my friends, is a deep rooted lesson.
JUNE 2020, my hubby was exposed to COVID at work. Found that out on Father’s Day. My journal notes that he was tested on June 22nd….then you wait. It was negative. That result will make you deeply thankful. My journal of June 25th notes that it was 6 months after Christmas, and 6 months until Christmas. We collectively cancelled our September vacation with all the besties on board to go to Nashville for the Americanafest. Next year.
JULY 2020 was to bring Jill to San Antonio for our annual July 4th as we have done for years…..but no. So we grilled and swam. JULY 2020 also had Sweetie camp for 2 weeks and during that time, I taught my youngest granddaughter (5 yrs) to swim without floaties. This ranks as thankfulness! Look at her go ……
Future swim team champ
Also in JULY 2020, I bought two laptops, one for me, one for my son. This film school grad had built a well respected career in the service industry and was out of a job, again COVID. However, he had become interested in computer coding, etc. so he got an early birthday gift. With plenty of time on his hands and courses, he took off. For reference sake …. he’s the youngest and I knew early that I had to parent this kid hard! But, it brought up this fiery strength deep in my belly that is still very useful today. He has taken us on many journeys of joy and challenge. He has a heart full of love and I’m thankful each day.
JULY 2020 also was a time that I watched a lot of movies. My ADD doesn’t allow me to sit and binge watch multiple episodes of anything, but I can watch a 2 hour movie once a day! In October 2018, I wrote My Top Favorite Movies. I watched the Godfather trilogy of course. I’ve often wondered about the scene with the Kindergarten kids when Michael appears to Kay on the sidewalk after being gone a couple of years, then she just gets in the mob car and leaves…what happened to the kids?! A Time To Kill which is a John Grisham novel from 1996 that I read way back then is a profound film. Matthew McConaughey was spot on in this movie and Samuel L. Jackson!! Have you e-v-e-r been that pissed, ever? Of course, with all that was swirling drama in the real life, this movie was particularly interesting to revisit. The movie really leaves it to us to figure out, not to become but to understand. What else?? Fried Green Tomotoes, Princess Bride, Willow, Jumanji (sorta like 2020), Lost Boys, Gladiator (ohh, Russell…). That’s just a few, many more but also old shows – I saw the pilot episode of The Beverly Hillbillies which was actually titled The Hillbillies of Beverly Hills. It was from 1962 and introduces all the characters, including the cement pond.
Rounding out Sweetie Camp in July, the little grands worked to send a message of LOVE to the people who walk their dogs, the mailman and anyone else. Teach, your children well.
Hard at work
Peace
Hand Prints
We must have more LOVE and PEACE for our next generation
AUGUST 2020
August 11 brought the first day of distance learning for the grandthrees. My CPA daughter was up to her eyeballs working from home with the extended IRS deadlines but topped with all the other 15th deadlines in the accounting world. So, Sweeties Virtual Learning Center was created and off we went.
Kinder, 2nd and 4th, each in their own room and me, supervising. Zoom calls, testing, troubleshooting, cafeteria lady, nurse, referee, counselor, computer analyst, coach….and at the end of the day, scanning and sending all their work in. Yes, we swam and we walked the dog as well. After a long day, I was thankful and enjoyed the beautiful summer nights. Clear beautiful skies and the moon. My Dad always says, Keep Looking Up. So not only am I thankful, I keep looking up ….. it makes me know that we are never disconnected; not from the creator or each other, even if 2020 causes distance between so many. A deep rooted lesson : Keep Looking Up
Keep Looking Up
Now that it is SEPTEMBER 2020 ….. Look, and find the good and that blessing that can be easily overlooked due to the multiple anxieties that is 2020. I know I will continue seeking and finding.
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Whenever an anniversary rolls around, it causes reflection of those times…the worst and the first; the funny and the sad; the highs and the lows. For me, today I celebrate the first anniversary of my blog, The Sweetie Life.
On April 12, 2018, I published Growing Up A Preachers Kid not knowing what the heck I was doing or where I was going from there. I just plunged head first like my brother did when we were kids and cracked his head open like a watermelon (we recently had a big laugh about that one).
The Sweetie Life was a labor of love and learning. I tried terribly not to look like a newbie and failed. But it was OK because I learned so much in the 12 months. I published 30 times and I wanted to published more. I wanted to write everyday. But that didn’t work out like I wanted either. Life just kept getting in the way a lot more than I expected.
As I write this, I sit in the emergency room next to the bed of my father in law waiting to see if he will be admitted to the hospital (btw, he’s OK). The anticipation and ultimate death of my sister in law in March continues to grieve us all deeply but yet, life churns on and Gods strength sustains us day to day. We are also so blessed to have welcomed a healthy baby boy to our family. Yes, a labor of love and learning even through heartbreak and happiness. I’ve learned, that like the migraines that I’ve finally been diagnosed as having, life just doesn’t always throw soft pitches; even if you’re really good at softball, your gonna strike out sometime. These are life lessons….over and over. So, with help from God Almighty, I will continue to learn and grow.
I have left specific instructions that when I die, those left behind must renew The Sweetie Life domain every year. Why? It’s for my grand kids to read the words I wrote. Some about them, some about others, some about life in general. But all of it, about The Sweetie Life.
Celebrate the journey …. and always have a cupcake
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NEW YEAR
Happy 2019 to all here in the final week of January. I’m right on top of everything so let’s check January 2019 with a rewind of how this new year is progressing. For all of you, I hope that it has been full of blessings and adventures.
We are a quiet couple on New Year’s Eve generally. If we do go out, we are home by 8 PM. It’s not because we are boring but the Eve can bring a bit more danger; besides, we are kinda homebodies. We had some awesome fireworks and brought in the New Year with eager hopes of being together with one another, family and friends.
New Year’s Day brings the tradition of making and eating Hoppin’ John with cornbread and greens. (The recipe is below which is good since it’s all in my head!). Hoppin’ John starts at Christmas when the ham is done after dinner. The ham bone and left over ham goes in a freezer bag for it’s part in the Hoppin’ John….it’s a must have. And then of course, it’s college football bowl games! It was cold outside so this wonderful bowl of black eyed peas/ham deliciousness with cornbread and football started the first day of the year out perfectly.
Happy 2019!
New Years Eve 2018
Sugar Bowl!
Hoppin’ John cooking on the stove for New Years Day
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
New Year’s Day is over and everyone goes back to work, but the Christmas school holidays continue! For me, it’s means that my blog is still on sabbatical and the grand kids hang with Sweetie for a few more days (which is awesome!). They love the playroom but variety is always needed. Of course, in Texas it’s Springtime one day and Winter the next. So the winter day meant Pump It Up…. here we come for some fun and the needed burning of some energy. On that beautiful Spring day and to finish out the holidays, we took to the outdoors for a picnic and a fun park day. Ahhh, love Texas weather.
Picnic and the park
Pump It Up fun!
Mountain and valley moments were defined in this January rewind. I mourned the death of friend who’s life was cut too short from cancer and then celebrated the excitement of a new baby in the family at our nieces baby shower. January is also the time to observe my Mom’s birthday and my Mother in law’s birthday; remembering their life with us before Heaven became their home. I miss these strong women in our lives but seek to apply that strength each day. Yep, mountain and valley moments are well defined in everyone’s life. Embracing those moments is what causes us to mature, define and understand how the life God gives us is precious and every day has a jewel embedded in it.
GIRLS WEEKEND
One of the jewels God embeds in our lives is friendship. It seems I know a lot of people, but there is a handful of people that cross into the ‘drop everything you are doing and are at your side when life deals a blow that knocks you off your feet‘ friends. So, when one of my jewels said ‘hey, want to go for a girls weekend in Wimberly Texas?’, there was only one answer! Refreshing, talking, laughing, eating, exploring, shopping and more reinforces how special and necessary it is to never take anything for granted.
the bossy posse
our little getaway
The sounds of the Blanco River
One of the coolest things was seeing the solar eclipse and blood moon on January 21st. I sat outside and watched this fascinating event in the heavens. There’s no doubt that God continues to show us his majesty when events like these are displayed.
January Rewind Resolution
In January, it seems that we always ‘resolve’ to do something, or not do something. We will save money, exercise more, travel more, lose weight, stop being late, eat healthy and the list goes on.
I didn’t make any New Years resolutions but in writing this January Rewind, I discovered something simple that I can do; that is to find a jewel in every single day. There is a precious jewel in every day in your world. Resolve to look for the precious stones that God has placed in and around your days. It will make 2019 a wonderful rewind.