Especially for you, Mama and Anna:
June 14, 2009 at 8:05 pm | Posted in challenges, family, I got you, life's ups and downs, love | Leave a commentTags: Andy Griffith, Brad Paisley, eternal love, Father's Day, heaven, Loss of spouse, waitin' on a woman
Father’s Day is coming up and can be difficult not only for children who have lost their fathers, but also for the loving wives left behind. I’ll always be grateful to Brad Paisley and Andy Griffith for this beautiful music video. I’ve always thought of Andy Griffith as the TV version of my dad so this is especially touching. Brad Paisley has Brian’s country song spirit, sooooo…….Enjoy. (Maybe I’ll soon come up with something of my own to blog about!)
Brad and Andy: Waitin' on a Woman
Click on the link below to hear “Waitin’ on a Woman” (don’t forget to make the video full screen for best viewing.)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pvKgnkIN8C8
Here are the words in case you wish to sing along:
Sittin’ on a bench at West Town Mall
He sat down in his overalls and asked me
You waitin’ on a woman
I nodded yeah and said how ’bout you
He said son since nineteen fifty-two I’ve been
Waitin’ on a woman
When I picked her up for our first date
I told her I’d be there at eight
And she came down the stairs at eight-thirty
She said I’m sorry that I took so long
Didn’t like a thing that I tried on
But let me tell you son she sure looked pretty
Yeah she’ll take her time but I don’t mind
Waitin’ on a woman
He said the wedding took a year to plan
You talk about an anxious man, I was nervous
Waitin’ on a woman
And then he nudged my arm like old men do
And said, I’ll say this about the honeymoon, it was worth it
Waitin’ on a woman
And I don’t guess we’ve been anywhere
She hasn’t made us late I swear
Sometimes she does it just ’cause she can do it
Boy it’s just a fact of life
It’ll be the same with your young wife
Might as well go on and get used to it
She’ll take her time ’cause you don’t mind
Waitin’ on a woman
I’ve read somewhere statistics show
The man’s always the first to go
And that makes sense ’cause I know she won’t be ready
So when it finally comes my time
And I get to the other side
I’ll find myself a bench, if they’ve got any
I hope she takes her time, ’cause I don’t mind
Waitin’ on a woman
Honey, take your time, cause I don’t mind
Waitin’ on a woman
The Other Side
March 22, 2009 at 12:42 am | Posted in blessings, challenges, family, Florida, life's ups and downs, love, meditation, open door, prayer | 3 CommentsTags: death, eternity, faith, family, hope, Jesus Christ, loved ones, Mormon Temples, optimism, Orlando, sense of humor, trials
I’m going to depart a bit from my normal silly self tonight and share something very personal and dear to me. Most of my friends know that over the past couple of years or so several members of my family have joined our dear ones on the other side of this life’s veil and my son has on two occasions come very close to joining them as well. In the fall of 2006 my darling dad passed away. Two weeks later Chad came way too close to death’s door with aspiration pneumonia and two weeks after ending our 3 week hospital stay with that Chad’s sweet brother, Curtis, died shortly after having gall bladder surgery. In 2007 we came to realize the seriousness of my baby brother, Brian’s, illness from which he died in February of 2008. Summer of 2008 began with Chad falling and having a spiral fracture of his upper left arm, which was very incapacitating for him and as he was just about to get over that he developed severe gall stones and had to have gall bladder surgery almost exactly 2 years from the day that Curtis had his surgery. The surgery went well but he again developed aspiration pneumonia and our intensive care stay seemed endless.
People often comment to me that I seem to take these things in stride and have a good outlook about everything. Some wonder how I do it. There are two very special things that help me to keep my perspective up and give me hope. Please allow me to share them with you.
One of those is my sense of humor, which I hope comes through in my blogs. There is always something humorous to be found in even the very worst of situations. I like what someone once said about the opposite of this condition. I believe it was either Dallin Oaks or Russell Ballard that said, “no situation in life can be so horrible that it can’t be made worse by complaining about it.” I actually paraphrased that and I’m really not quite sure who originally said it, but you get my drift.
The second thing that keeps me looking up is my faith. I cherish my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I cherish the teachings of Jesus Christ which I learn there. It is those teachings which give me hope and which continually strengthen my faith. Our Temples are in many ways a symbol of our faith and I’d like to share the following video to help others understand something of the peace the Temple brings me and the great help it gives me through life’s difficulties. Please enjoy this short video about our Temples. Perhaps you will begin to understand the strength of my faith and perhaps, too, it will take some of the mystery out of the “Mormon” fascination with Temples.
Hmmmm…………I think I feel a Temple Trip coming on…..! 
Mama and Daddy outside the Orlando Temple
Those two old love birds!
Memories of Christmas Past
December 26, 2008 at 3:25 am | Posted in challenges, Christmas, Cute, family, Holiday, humor, life's ups and downs, love | 4 CommentsTags: adversity, hope, I got you, love
Love at Home
Today was a lovely Christmas. We gathered at my sister Barb’s house and had a wonderful dinner and beautiful entertainment from nieces and nephews. My how our family has grown from the “starter” family pictured above: Daddy, Mama, me, Becky and Barbara. Was that the Christmas I had the mumps on both sides? Hmm….those chubby cheeks could just be BABY FAT!!!! In the few years that followed this picture, Linda and Brian joined our family and boy did life get exciting then! The excitement just keeps coming!
I was touched by a unique gift prepared by my niece, Natalie and given to me by Mama. It is a book Natalie made entitled Hello Darling, Love letters of Vernon Allen and Doris Spears, 1950-51. It consists solely of letters written by my parents to each other during the time they were dating and Daddy was teaching in a neighboring county. They apparently saw each other on Wednesday evenings and on the weekends when Daddy made the long trip back home. At first it was hard to read love letters written by my parents to each other. I felt like I was peeping around the corner and eavesdropping on their lives and feelings for each other. After awhile I got past that and realized that my dad was a much more affectionate man than I ever realized. As he got older and became a school principal he became very business like in his letters and phone calls (at least to us kids–of course he wasn’t DATING us!)
Another thing I realized which was a big shocker was that before they got married Mama called HER mama “Mom” and Daddy called his mama “Mother.” I can honestly say I never ever heard either one of them call their mothers anything but “Mama” my whole entire life. Another shocker was that Daddy actually talked to his mom about dating Mama. Evidently he and Mama had gone for a drive one day and the car got stuck in the sand and Uncle Edward had to walk a long way to help them out. Grandma Olie was amused and asked Daddy if he and “Doris” were glad to get out of the sand. He told her he thought Doris was but that he kinda liked being stuck with her. I just can’t imagine Daddy and Grandma Olie having that conversation.
I was really impressed with all the I miss you so much’s and l love you’s and I’m lonely for you’s. Who ever knew my dad was such a sentimental romantic. I sure never guessed! Of course the years of having children and trying to provide for them and trying to be on the same page about everything took their toll. Being stuck in the sand with a car full of chattering children was less of a thrill and more of a “Well don’t that just beat everything!” Murphy’s law was frequently in full force in our lives and I think the romance dwindled a bit.
But time is kind, as I think eternity will be. During the last year and a half of my dad’s life the romance was re-kindled. He and mama were just like the couple writing those sweet letters over a half century ago. They held hands, spoke of love, read together, spent time together and being with them was so sweet that I couldn’t wait to go over and spend some time with them and hated to leave when I had to be getting back home.
I think I’ve discovered what was missing in those in between years. The love letters. Mama and Daddy seemed to be able to work through some of their problems by writing down their feelings to each other, saying “I’m sorry,” and stating the ever present truth: “Darling, remember that I love you. I can hardly wait to see you.” Perhaps writing some more of those letters would have eased the burdens the in between years brought. I’m glad their love is strong and that they stayed by each other through the hard times. Daddy has passed on but I know he is waiting for Mama. I know he would love to say to her, “Remember I love you and I can hardly wait to be with you again.” And I know he will be. And a happy time will be had by all–forever and ever and always and always.
Vernon and Doris, the old love birds!
The following is my favorite quote from “The King and I:”
"I believe in snow!"
……………….and God bless us, everyone! Merry Christmas.
Happy Thanksgiving from Our Hearts to Yours
November 27, 2008 at 2:32 am | Posted in blessings, flamingo, humor, life's ups and downs, love, meditation, prayer | Leave a commentTags: Bahama Mama, big kahuna, blessings, luau, Thanksgiving
Chad visits my classroom
If this looks more to you like a summer luau than a Thanksgiving dinner, you are absolutely right! Chad had stopped by my classroom and helped me set up for a luau culminating our studies of the islands of the south pacific. I decided to post this picture because of all the things I have to be thankful for, Chad is at the very top of the list. Also at the top of the list are my dear sweet parents and siblings, grandparents, wonderful friends, the Church, and our school. My, what a top-heavy list!
I have soooooooo much to be thankful for, not the least of which is the fact that I am not a turkey (at least not the kind you serve up on Thanksgiving Day!) I am grateful to know that I am a child of God and that we are all brothers and sisters. I am grateful for His plan for me and for the knowledge that he guides my footsteps–even around the boulders I frequently put in my own pathway.
Please take time to think upon the things you are thankful for and to express gratitude for all your blessings. Whenever I take the time to do that I see my blessings suddenly multiply.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all, with much love from Chad and me–The Bahama Mama and Her Big Kahuna.
Squawk!!! NOT THE TURKEY! Would someone please tell the hunters I'm NOT THE TURKEY?!!!
Photo entitled “The Flamingo Run” by Mabar on Flickr website.
Summer Love – Dedicated to fun couples everywhere
August 10, 2008 at 6:45 am | Posted in love | Leave a commentTags: back to school, I got you, love, Sony & Cher, summer vacation, the Golden Girls
What ever happened to summer vacation? I’m old enough to remember when kids didn’t return to school until the day after labor day. Back then it made a lot more sense when someone said “when we go back to school in the fall” than it does now going back in the middle of August. Oh dear, now I’m beginning to sound like Andy Rooney.
I titled this blog Summer Love because I believe that’s what the song was called that the radio always played back in the day when it was time to return to school (or was it Sealed with a Kiss?). No, I never did have a summer love, myself personally, but I loved the romantic idea of one. (Or WAS there one that summer of 1971?…. Hmmm…..too far back to remember…)
Well I spent all of my time THIS summer with my summer, fall, winter and spring love, the Big Kahuna himself, Chaddy Paddy. Yes the time was filled with unexpected adventures but we closed every day with the same dialogue: “Mama, are you going to leave me?” “No, my Chaddy Paddy. I’m not ever going to leave you. As long as Heavenly Father lets me I’m going to come home to my baby.” It may not make sense to everyone else but it works for us.
So to my dear Chaddy Paddy, to Ma and Pussycat (Sophia and Dorothy of the Golden Girls) and to the famous babes themselves, Sonny and Cher, I dedicate this blog.
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