How swift the days ....a condensed version.

Seems I last blogged late in January 2012.  So very much has happened since then, I'll just do a condensed version of happenings.

On February 3 of this year (2012)I fell at a basketball game...........sprained my left ankle and broke my right knee cap. It was unpleasant to say the very least. I was in a groin-to-thigh cast on right leg and air cast on left ankle.

Again on March 20, I broke my back......well, it was vertebrae fracture but hurt so  much for about a month or so.

In May of 2012 My husband, Don, was flown to an Amarillo Hospital for what we thought would be a quick recovery.  He was there for a month and on April 26, he passed away in the ambulance on the way back to our home town. My life after 55 years of marriage was going to be different.  Believing that one should bloom where they are planted, I immediately started to do all the things that I had never done before.  You know, like paying bills, seeing about the taxes, etc.  My son who had run the store for us was a huge help to me.
Then there was a three week case of bronchitis that kept me down. Nothing too bad for the rest of the time.

In August, after strong feeling about it, I decided to close our  shoe store of 27 years.  My son had not been feeling well, so I knew now was the time.  We had two weeks of selling and getting stuff moved out before our lease was up.  On August 31, 2013, we locked the door for the last time and walked away.  Rather a sad moment for us...............kinda like losing a member of the family.  A week later my son went to Dr. to see what was making him so very tired.  They sent him immediately to Amarillo and wasn't but short while before they found the colon cancer.  After two weeks in hospital, he started on his chemo.  He is still taking the chemo, but seems to be doing pretty well.

In January of this year (2014) Our family blessed with a beautiful baby girl.  She was my 7th great grandchild.  I have 7 grandchildren and in March I was 77 years old.  I'd say my lucky number is 7!!!  

Another event was my oldest daughter moved to a different school about 100 miles away.  She is counselor for K-12 and loving it.  Her husband had moved out there for his job last year.  So glad they are together and having such a good time.  My middle daughter is running for county/district clerk here in this town.  There is a run-off in May for the top two.  My youngest daughter started working for a different bank and seems pleased where she is.  I have a grandson graduating High School, in May and his older brother graduating in December from college with a mechanical engineering degree. I am extremely proud of ALL 7 of my grands. 

"We need four hugs a day for survival.  We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth." 

Hugging Honeyma signing off.......

Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!!

Clumsy is a word I never thought described me. Lately, however, the floor has decided to be my friend. This is not something that I chose.

A couple of months ago, I had borrowed a sleeping pill from my husband. Sleep came quickly, but a little later on, I woke up..............sorta...........and decided it was too hot. I got my back scratcher and walked to the vent to close it. Apparently I went to sleep standing up, because when my face hit the floor, it woke me up. I was lying there with my arms and legs straighten out under me, with no sign of trying to break my fall. Never once did it dawn on me that I could have broken something, so I just got up and went back to bed. I was sore the next day, but continued on with my everyday business.

The day after Thanksgiving, I was cleaning up the left over bones from turkey. My son put the bones in a sack and was taking them to the dumpster. As I turned around carrying the metal cookie sheet with the metal spatula on it, a small drop of grease or something found my slippery shoe and down I went. Don heard all the comotion and ran in there to try and pull me up. My head hit the floor so hard, but my hip was hurting. Clay came in from the dumpster about that time, and the horrified look on his face when he saw me on the floor was priceless. I ask them to let me just lie there for a minute or two and try to decide if perhaps I had broken something. Finally, they pulled me up and I started to sink to finish dishes. My head was hurting slightly, but my hip............wow. Anyway, I took an aspirin and went to bed. Upon arising the next morning, I realized how much my hip hurt, but didn't bother to look until I was getting in the tub. There was a huge, softball size bruise ..............very sore. I went in to utility room and saw the door stop on the door. That is what I fell on and hit just in the right place. Couple of days later, I looked at the bruise and it was black...........not blue, no fading, yellow, or blue like most bruises. When I showed it to my daughter who is an LVN, she said " I've never seen a bruise like that". It's fine now, but was sore for at least two weeks. I am so grateful to the Lord that I received no broken bones, because 75 is usually a good age to break a bone.

Praising the Lord for my mobility.

Honeyma's my name, hugging's my game.

I Danced with a Frog last night!!!

Last night was interesting to say the least. I was sleeping so great when I heard a little scratching in my room. Thinking it was a mouse, I shined my flash light (that I keep on my bed) all around the desk and under and the noise stopped. I thought dang mouse. Again....scratch, scratch, scratch. What the heck is he doing. Turned on the light again and the scratching stopped. One more time I was awakened by it and decided it sounded like the scratcing came from my door. I keep the door pushed up as far as it will go without closing it completely......so when I got my flashlight, I shined it over to the crack in the door. Sure enough, there was something looking through the crack and it was NOT the color of a mouse. Upon closer observation without opening the door, I tried to look at what it was. There was this one little eye staring at me............it was low, then it got higher...........Oh my gosh, I said to myself, I have a snake in the house. The hallway has 3 other doors, two of which were opened wide enough for this THING to get through. But, NO, it liked my room. I was a nervous wreck thinking it was a snake and I was going to die. I was hyperventlating and saying to myself....whatta my going to do, whatta my going to do. I couldn't open the door and call for help. Don was across the room with his oxygen unit running and couldn't hear and I just knew I was trapped. So I got up, went to the door again and searched up and down the crack with my flashlight finally seeing that it was a FROG. Now where did this frog come from, why was he in the house, and why did he insist on coming in my room. Well, I decided I would lie back down for a little while as the frog probably wasn't coming in my room. WRONG. I heard my door open and totally paniced. I'd never be able to catch a hoping frog and my room was cluttered with boxes and things.

So I noticed an empty plastic shoe box and saw the frog in a corner........slammed the box on him and relaxed , to a point. Thought it best to just get up and eat breakfast. Maybe and hour or 45 minutes passed before I came in the bedroom again. Horror! the box was not there. I found it behind the door and thought , oh my gosh now he's loose in my room. But the plastic box was blue and had to get my light to see in it, and sure enough the frog was there. Guess he just moved the box with him. After finding something heavy to put on the box, breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, Don got up and we managed to get the frog into a box with a lid and he went to the alley and turned him loose. Since the frog was so taken with me, I decided to call him Jerimiah. The reason for this was that Hoyt Axton wrote the song "Jerimiah was a Bullfrog" and I was in study hall with Hoyt one time. He only went to school here for a couple of years, but always think of him when I see a frog. His mother, Mae Axton, was my English teacher and wrote the song "Heartbreak Hotel" for Elvis Presley. Well, I'm off the track now, so I'll just close by saying .........I danced with a frog last night.

Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. I did succeed in conquering the Frog

Hugging Honeyma signing off.

Procrastination

I learned a lesson today about putting things off. It has been so hot this summer, that I used the heat to delay doing things that so desparetly needed doing. When it gets cooler, I thought, I will tackle all the "stuff" that is cluttering my house and garage. Sunday it was 107° and Monday morning when I got up, it was 67°. What a nice and welcome change that was. Tuesday it was definitely "Chamber of Commerce" weather. But, alas, I thought I'd have plenty of time. This morning at 6 A.M., my phone started ringing very loudly. When I was awakened by this, I jumped out of bed..........emphasis on jumped .....and ran to the phone. The computer chair was pulled out from the desk and of course in the dark room, I did not see it. The leg of the chair met full force with my toe. Blinded (even tho it was dark) by the pain, I picked up the phone and it was a silly update of a ridiculous app that I had installed. Every few hours they update it and it plays this loud, irritating Chicken Polka song. I uninstalled that sucker today. My toe is broken and black and blue...........hurts like the dickens. Perhaps the A & E network will call and want me to be in one of their episodes of Hoarders. I really need help getting the clutter carried off. It would not have been a good idea to post a picture of my toe. I mean, really, who cares what my toe looks like.

Hugging Honeyma signing off for now.

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.......phone, chair

Superstition

I have never been one to be superstitious. You are always told not to continue on if a black cat crosses your path............doesn't bother me at all. Friday the 13th is just another good day to me. I am a little nervous when I break a mirror, but only because I fear cutting myself while cleaning it up. However, I won't walk under an open ladder because it's not that far around it. I've always heard that the sighting of a white dove meant a death. I never thought much about this as I see a lot of doves. One morning as I was standing at the kitchen sink looking out to the front yard......there sitting on the lawn was a white dove..... not a gray dove as we usually see, but a solid white, snow white, completely white dove all alone sitting on the grass. I just watched as it stayed there for possibly 30 seconds. The thought of the old superstition that it meant death quickly crossed my mind but was dismissed and I went about my business. The next evening, I got the call that my sister had passed away.
Coincidence??????????

Eight Gifts

I don't post much anymore, but ran across this today and wanted to share. It is so true about life.
Eight Gifts
That Don't Cost A Cent!



~THE GIFT OF LISTENING~ But, you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.

~THE GIFT OF AFFECTION~ Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

~THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER~ Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."

~THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE~ It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note, or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

~THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT~ A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job," or "That was a wonderful meal", can make someone's day.

~THE GIFT OF A FAVOR~ Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

~THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE~ There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

~THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION~ The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it's not that hard to say, "Hello" or "Thank You."

And Don't Forget ~~

LOVE is A Gift We Can Give Every Day!!!

Days are long, but years are short.

I haven't posted in a while because staying at home most of the time, I don't have any adventures to talk about like a lot of you young people. Years ago, tho, I had adventures and no one can take my memories. Each year brings more blessings to me and my family. Isn't it hard to forget our blessings sometimes until an unfortunate sadness comes in for a visit. I thank the Lord every morning when I get up, that I could get up. There are so many people less fortunate than me.
I have learned to stop and pray for people, like the ladies that come by my house every morning walking their dogs. They are having such a good time and the little dogs are precious. I simply ask the Lord to keep them safe. This is a simple thing to do and it makes me feel so much better. My day goes more smoothly, too. If we could all pray for the simple things we see every day..........wouldn't the world be better. We of course all pray for Haiti and Chile and for the horrible disasters in the world. Sometimes we forget to pray for the little things. Try this sometime and see how much better it makes you feel. When someone has road rage for something you accidently did, just put your hands together under your chin and let them know you are sorry and praying for them.
I still haven't mastered the blogging.............you know decorations and correct positioning of the pictures...........so please say a small prayer for me(insert smile). I love it.

"If you're not using your smile, you are like the man with a million dollars in the bank and no checkbook."