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My Plate
If you have been hanging around here for any length of time, you know I have a ton of memories that are centered around food. Listen, if my family does not do anything else, we eat. I was raised by my great-grandmother, great-grandfather, and extended family for the first five years of my life. My great-grandmother was old school. We got up early in the mornings so that she could make breakfast for us. Biscuits made from scratch. Rolling out the dough. Dipping the formed mounds in grease. Baking them and waiting impatiently for them to be ready. The stuff of my dreams. Mana from heaven. After the food was…
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I Got the Keys!
When I was growing up, we were constantly at church. Most certainly, we were there on Wednesday nights, Saturday mornings, and of course, on Sunday. Bible Study Mama wore a lot of hats back in those days. She had multiple jobs and probably just as many responsibilities at the church. She was at the front of the cheering squad when it was time for me to get my driver’s license. My ability to drive myself places would relieve some pressure off her and give me some more independence. A win-win situation if I ever saw one. Driving gave me the keys to a whole new world. One that I was…
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Winter
Some people dread winter. It is too cold. The trees are bare. The days are shorter. The nights are longer. But I am not some people. While winter has elements that are not my favorite, I have learned to appreciate winter for what it is….a season. Which means it does not last forever. It has a set time and then we move on to the next season…and the next…and the next. While walking on the trail the other day, I realized that I could see much farther through the woods. In the spring and summer, the trees are full of bright green leaves that form a canopy. I get caught…
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Low Pain Tolerance: Part II
For most of my life, I have considered myself a person with a low pain tolerance. I mean, most people do not like pain, but I avoided the possibility of physical pain like the plague. Get a shot? Who me???? No way. I was all for being a nurse just like my mom until she talked about giving and receiving shots in school. I crossed that off my list and moved on to other options. I was not willingly signing up for pain. As I got older, I stopped wiggling and whining when I had to receive a shot. I took them with no complaints and was able to get…
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Making Mad Work
I feel all of my feelings deeply. Whether it is hormones or not, my emotions make their presence known loud and clear. I have a tendency to bottle mine in until I explode. And the outburst is not pretty. And even though we all have emotions, we have vastly different ways of dealing with them. The sermon recap dives into emotions, and the proper way to navigate life with them. Sunday’s sermon was pulled from John 11:38-44. Lazarus, the one Jesus loved, had fallen sick and ultimately died. Mary and Martha sent for Jesus, before Lazarus’ death, to come and heal him. Jesus did not come then. He arrives in…
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The Container
Waves of grief wash over me in the most random moments. I was looking through my Tupperware/random container cabinet to find something to place food in when I saw it. I am sure that you would love to know what “it” is. “It” is a circular container with a bright red lid. Now why would a circular container with a bright red lid stop me in my tracks and make me cry? Good question. Tomica and I fasted for 2 weeks every month in 2020. Life was life-ing, and we both knew that we needed to discipline ourselves and sit in God’s face. To be honest, we had no intention…
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Fresh Manicure
When I was a kid, I was an incessant fingernail biter. Bible Study Mama did not have to worry about keeping my nails trimmed to an acceptable length. NOPE! I took care of my nails all on my own. Now, let me be clear. I was not biting my nails because I did not want them to be trimmed. I bit my nails whenever I was worried. It was a calming mechanism for me. So, my little hands sported some pretty ragged looking fingernails. At the time that I was biting them, I made no correlation to my feelings. That correlation comes with age and wisdom. It was just something…
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2. Regularly attend church services in person.
I have been very lackadaisical about updating my progress on my 39 for 39 list. If you are new around these parts, I will clue you in on what I’m talking about. When I turned 35, I created a list of fun activities that I wanted to complete while I was 35. It was so much fun that I continued the tradition. I unveiled my 39 for 39 list last May and then did not document my journey as I completed the activities. Well, child, I have remembered now, so I am going to do my best to keep you up to date. # 2 on my list was regularly…
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30. Try a new vegetable.
As I browsed my list of 39 activities that I want to complete while I’m 39, I stumbled upon this beauty. Actually, let me back this train up. This part of the adventure started on Sunday. I had just finished a walk with Bible Study Mama. I needed to stop by Trader Joe’s and pick up some oat milk. She was more than happy to tag along. While waiting for her to pick out her produce, I saw fresh artichoke. I am a big fan of a good spinach and artichoke dip; however, I had not ever had fresh artichoke. And I certainly had not had to prepare it at…
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Storyteller
My grandma is not the stereotypical grandma. No. She is different. Upon deeper reflection, her ability to beat to the sound of her own drum probably greatly influenced my ability to do the same. Spending summers with her was magical. We did not play Uno or Go Fish during my childhood. We played Dominoes, and she taught me how to keep score and count bones. We traveled up and down the road at lightning speed. We explored unknown places just because. She listened to my thoughts. And she told the BEST stories at bedtime. After a long day of activity, you know I could go to sleep at the drop…
