April 4th

Today took me back to a lot of my memories. Of course, that leads me back to thinking about Charles. Until his dying day he would always say that our first date was April 4th. He couldn't remember the year, but that date was really special to both of us. Tonight I went to a singles dinner and special entertainment. It was a guy who sang many 50's and 60's songs. I've always said my life is like a song and so many of the songs brought those times rushing back to me. One of the songs was Last Date and I thought about my mother. That was one of her favorite songs played by Floyd Cramer. He would tell the year the song was popular and I would think, I was 12 or I was 14 and it is so hard to imagine how much has happened in the years I've been living. I told my friend, Jeanie today that I feel like I've lived so many different life times. She said, you've done a lot of things. Looking back I wonder how my life would have changed if I had made just one different decision. Then I thought, no, I might not have met Charles and he was the great love of my life. I owe so much to him. I couldn't be where I am today if I had not met him. Thank you, Charles, for April 4th! DR 4/4/16

Jeanie and Nathan

Jeanie and Nathan have been my friends for almost 50 years. It's funny, but when I first met them I felt that I wasn't good enough to be their friends. Now I realize I can't spend another day without their friendship. I knew Eric and Lisa when they were just little and were in the children's church. I told Jeanie one day after church that Eric had sung the sweetest little song about a lamb. She said the only song he knew was "Bah, Bah Black Sheep." We had a laugh. I've had so many good times with the Chandlers. One time Jeanie came up to our house and played my piano for Charles. She was playing out of what she called the "red" hymnal. I said why is it called red when mine is green??? After a few songs, she said call out a number and she would begin to play and sing that song. I really tried to stump her but I couldn't. Charles thought she was the smartest woman around. When they came back from being missionaries in Honduras, I got her to go to training in BeautiControl Cosmetics. I went also, and well, all I can say it was definitely an experience I will never forget! When my husband first got sick, Jeanie was my prayer partner. One day she called me and said she work up in the middle of the night and looked at the clock and it said 3:16 a.m. She knew she was supposed to pray for Charles and she started off by reciting John 3:16. Friends, what can I say? Both Jeanie and Nathan have always been here for me even when I thought I was so low nobody could love me. They are true friends and I have seen the love they have for each other. Oh, if all marriages could be like theirs. Happy 58th Anniversary to two of my favorite people! DR 3/30/16

Thoughts

Today we had our big breakfast meeting with my company downtown. We had a couple of different speakers, one was from the Northeast and the other was from Oregon/California. The thing that stood out to me were a couple of statements made by both of them that they never pray publicly and they had not said the Pledge to Allegiance since school. I thought to myself how lucky we are to live in the South where these things are a way of life for us. I am also thankful to work for a company who starts our meetings with prayer. Several of us talked about this afterwards and we agreed that we just take those things for granted. What are some of the things in your life that you take for granted? Think about that. DR 2/23/16