Do you practice religion?
I do not practice religion, but I believe in God. I believe in Jesus Christ and I choose by faith to strive to live a life of love and understanding.
Religion is legalized rules. God sent Jesus to set us free from religion!
Do you remember life before the internet?
I remember life before many things but, I seriously remember life before the Internet! You couldn’t go to the Internet to look up anything! Nada¡!
You had to pull out a huge heavy two inch thick Encyclopedia book just to research any historical subject.
If you needed someone’s address or phone number you had to search for a phone book.
If you need directions somewhere you would need a written map.
No Pinterest! Buy a recipe book or magazine!
Hospital records, school records millions of paper records stored in millions of boxes!
Everywhere you looked paper, paper, paper and more boxes of book!
What personal belongings do you hold most dear?
There is an extreme amount of joy appears each time I re-read a letter or card from someone I love.
I treasure the unique handwriting just by seeing it I journey back to the time and place when the words were written. Memories only we share unfold in my mind bringing often a smile sometimes tears.
I have been told over and over again “Why do you keep all those letters and cards? It’s too much clutter.” Not clutter each one is a valuable Time Machine!
Why would I ever destroy something so priceless? To me these letters and cards are my most precious belongings.
How do you feel about cold weather?
Cold weather makes my life enjoyable! I have a medical disorder in which hot weather makes my symptoms much worse.
In cold weather I am free to move outside without fear of having horrible flare ups.
I can enjoy taking a walk and enjoying the sunrise or sunset.
Have you ever broken a bone?
Broken Strife
Have you ever lived in or worked in a strife filled environment? I have lived in both situations more than once.
It’s extremely draining and exhausting! You seek peace, but it rarely comes if you and others involved have no desire to communicate or walk in agreement.
Strife destroys not only relationships it will destroy your health both mentally and physically.
I have no desire to live in or to participate in constant drama and strife. Do you? How do we avoid it?
It is simply a choice.
I have been a fool who ran her mouth. I have been a fool trying to prove my worth. I have been a fool trying to prove to myself I was worthy. All to my own embarrassment. I see now drowning my heartaches and disappointment in alcohol or running my mouth in self proclamation is not the answer!
Do I truly believe I am saved and loved by God? Yes, I do! Undeserving as I am! I know with OUT doubt I am! He has blessed me beyond measure. He has rescued me from the miry pit of my own self destruction! I know, that I know He is real and He loves me.
Then “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” I don’t have to defend myself. God will do it for me!
Proverbs 15:18 KJV
A wrathful man stirreth up strife: But he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
Looking out the kitchen window I watched my husband walking the path to the pasture and thought to myself “there goes the man with all the keys.”
He has the the key to every door in this house. Front door, back door, French doors and the basement door. He has keys for every building on all our property. The keys to every vehicle, lawnmower, tractor or chained gate we own.
My husband also has keys to my mom’s house and all her properties. He takes care of everything for her. Cuts her grass, fixes anything that needs to be taken care of.
I felt extremely grateful as I was watching this “great holder” walk the pasture path with his pocket full of keys.
The dark black hair that drew my eyes to him when we first met has now slipped almost completely away. Thinned and gray he only has a few strands of dark hair left.
There have been hard days. Lord knows there have been hard years in our marriage. I am not an easy person to live with and he doesn’t communicate about anything but politics and history.
You can’t raise a blended family of four daughters from childhood to teenagers into adulthood without issues.
We both had our own demons we struggled with after our nest was empty. Illness, depression, great heartache and delusion later turned to alcoholism.
When we were young we had a delusion our life together would be beautiful. We worked hard, served God and our children were more important than our own desires. We never dreamed of the heartache we would experience. We never dreamed of becoming alcoholics in our sixties, but it happened.
After all these years in the midst of our struggles he still carries all the keys. There is one key he carries I hope he never ever loses – it’s the key to my heart. In spite of everything he still holds it and I am so thankful it is still a key he has chosen to carry and love.
What is your favorite restaurant?
My momma’s kitchen, unfortunately dementia has stolen her ability to make both mine and my husband’s favorite meals.
My favorite meal she cooked for me was cubed steak with gravy, mashed potatoes and English peas.
I loved momma’s fried okra. Sliced thin, battered lightly in flour then fried in hot oil till crunchy crisp.
My husband’s favorite was her fried chicken. Bless his heart I don’t fry chicken. His second favorite was her chicken dressing. Now, fortunately for him my momma taught me how to cook it exactly like she did.
Every New Year’s Day she served up black eyed peas, collards, ham and all the trimmings.
I guess by now you realize we are extremely southern.
Yes, and we are extremely happy with our restaurant menu!
When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be my Aunt Helen!!!
She was beautiful, glamorously stylish and I wanted to look and dress like her.
To this day, red lipstick is my favorite.
How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?
No where nearly as often as I should, but a lot more than I use too!
As a wife, mother, grandmother and now the caregiver for my mother it is my nature to take care of everyone else first. However, I have learned I am not some mystical superhero. I can’t give constantly without becoming drained physically, mentally and spiritually.
I no longer think I have to say “yes” to every person who wants or needs my time. I am not going to pretend it’s easy for me to say “no” more often. I still struggle with wanting to take care of everything and everyone.
I can say I am learning each and every single day to be honest with myself and others. My new top goal is – be honest! The truth is I can’t do everything! I have to admit it to myself, to others and humble myself before God.
Even Jesus didn’t try to be everything to everyone. Why do I think I can be? Even Jesus took time alone to pray and rest. Why do I think I don’t really need to? I had placed myself on a high pedestal of unobtainable greatness.
I find myself saying “no” more often and I intend to keep my goal of being honest with myself and others.
For Real, Elaine?! 