Last weekend in March...

Other weekend news...

Grandad joined his sons, Shannon and then Michael, to watch his favorite Atlanta baseball players today. Ford and Joe didn't disappoint this devoted fan. They provided a chance for their sick grandfather to sit in the sun and soak up the rays while forgetting the past week of flu and enjoying life on the ball field again! These guys are terrific and boy can they play ball!

It was a win win!!!

Later, after Issy's soccer game, the family rushed home to get Mike and Isabelle ready for the annual Father/Daughter Dance. Could there be anything sweeter...

I remember once, a beautiful little girl that went to her first dance at the age of three. It was aboard a wonder ship at sea. When the music started and the spot light came on, she " Danced and danced and danced in the light". God bless little girls and the memories you make with them. They live forever.

The Sabonis-Chafee's have also had an adventurous weekend. Not only did they host fourteen 13 year-old boys Friday and Saturday nights for the male part of a youth Church retreat (Em had her on retreat), but they also were also found Sunday morning playing the parts of Peter and a spice girl (not like our modern day Spice Girl singers...maybe she grew the spices and sold them or something?) on the 'tour through Jerusalem", for the children of Apostles. The children are getting ready for Easter by learning what it was like in the days of the Crucifixion. Kim and Tom have been a part of this for many years, usually with their children at their feet, but because of the retreats, Emily and Andrew were so busy and tired that they did not participate, and slept...no, no, no, sat quietly in Church.) Anyway, I'm just saying, if you want to know what it was like back in those days, I bet they have the answers. I'm throwing in a picture of a Roman Centurion for effect...and because he is a good friend of ours when off duty.

It was a joyous Palm Sunday as we waved our Palm branches to songs of Hallelujah! The sermon was Tetelestai..."It is finished", and never to end.

Morgan vs The Climbing Wall

This morning, at 6 A.M., Molly and Morgan headed to Chattanooga, Tennessee for Morgan’s third Red Point Rock Climbing Competition. (If I understand correctly a climber must go to at least three local (Red Point) events before moving on to the next level of competition.) This day, in her category, Morgan came in FIRST in DIFFICULTLY and SECOND in SPEED! Congratulations to Morgan for a very successful day on the climbing walls. If she continues to have these successes, she will qualify for the Nationals again this year!

Finding the Light in the Darkness

March 24, 2010

It’s been a bit of a rough ten days or so at our house. We finely got Kim up and running from pneumonia and William recovering from pretty bad congestion when I came down with the Horrible Crud. Well, this stuff really likes our family for it has lingered on for what seems forever, and now that I can finally see the light of day, it has hit my dear husband. Oh, everyone gets colds, I know, but it makes other things a little harder to swallow (and I mean that literally, Ouch!) when they get off track; like Shannon, Kristin and Bethann’s mom falling and breaking bones while helping Kristin and Alan move into their new house, like my great Uncle (my grandfather’s last living sibling) dying, like Terr’s brother, Tim, finding out he has a clogged artery and may have to have open heart surgery, Mary’s mother falling and not doing well and stories of others who are in need. It gets a little depressing and hard to handle when you already feel like the world is dark brown.

But let me tell you where the light is…

Last night I got the big guy headed towards bed and he encouraged me to go, without him, to our weekly bible study meeting, along with my prayer list. The study was enlightening and our sharing and prayer time healing. The lyrics to an old hymn came to mind while driving home…what a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear, what a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer, oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry ,everything to God in prayer. I felt renewed in spirit and ready to tackle another God given day. (Hold on to that thought Merry!)

After Terr dragged himself off to his legal world this morning, to attend a couple of previously scheduled meetings, then hopefully off to see the doctor before coming home, I picked up an old book (suggested by a friend and ordered from the internet) from my bedside table. Deciding the bed could wait to be made a few minutes longer; I sat down to read. The book is Mr. Jones, Meet the Master, by Peter Marshall. I have been amazed each time I have read from this little book and this morning was no different, as I read the chapter entitled; The Paradox of Salvation. I was so profoundly stuck by the powerful, must have been God given words, that I stood up and read the chapter aloud with tears blurring my vision and heartfelt gratitude for the promise of the cross.

“Christ has suffered for our sins. He has paid the penalty for us, so that there is therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. He has, with His own blood, written “Paid” across the ledgers of Heaven.”

Jesus lived and experienced all pain and despair of this world, because he came as one of us, he knows our needs and will take the burdens that we cannot bear.

I’ve always wanted to write my statement of faith, so that all of you would know clearly who I am and where I’m headed. I got this idea when I once read a letter written by Terr’s grandfather Brown, entitled simply: My Statement of Faith. It was a formal letter telling his children and grandchildren exactly what he believed and of his faith in God. It was a little treasure when found and I thought a lovely gift to leave his family. Well, this day, the greatest gift that I have ever received is on my heart and in my mind too and now it belongs to you. When told of the woman whose assurance was that if she could but touch Him...even only the hem of His garment...she would be healed.. She touched Him in faith...in desperate believing faith and He stopped! The touch of one anonymous woman in a crowd halted the Lord of Glory. That is the glorious truth of this incident. She touched Him. So can we... and He won't ask, "Who touched me?". He will know. Luke 8:40-40.

I am looking forward to Easter!

Mama, Mimi, Merry

Treasured Birthdays...

It's past midnight....so today, Terr's (therefore mine) beautiful daughter is having a birthday. It may seem like many birthdays are posted on Chatterbox, because our blended family is large and blessed, but I can guarantee you, each and everyone is important and a celebration to their father and me. So, sweet daughter, Kristin, happy, happy birthday. You are part of what makes us complete.

Our New Diplomate!

Congratulations Mike

On earning Diplomat status with the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys.

If you can't read it, the article says...

To become Board Certified lawyers are evaluated by five objective measures:

*Experience *Ethics *Education **Examination *Excellence

(You're making quite a name for yourself in this town and I love to hear it!)

Plays, Skiing, Student Teaching, Baseball and MORE!

What a weekend! First of all, Terr was on a trip to Salt Lake City where he got to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and dine with lots of interesting mediators as well as sit in on informative meetings...but while he was gone:

Kim was down with pneumonia. (Thank God she is feeling better!)

William stayed a couple of days with me.

Mike and Joe returned from a week of skiing/snowboarding.

Mary and Isabelle returned from a week's visit with Issy's Aunt Carol, where she got to spend four days as Carol's assistant teacher.

Molly took Morgan to her rock climbing competition in Charleston, NC. (I haven't heard the results yet.)

Shannon and Ford had a Florida vacation involving lots of spring season baseball games, tennis and hanging out together. Then Ford headed out to California to see Keegan and Aidan in a production of the fabulous play for boy actors, "Oliver"!



WOW! I heard that the only thing better than Keegan's (Artful Dodger) singing was his acting! He looks like a natural to me! We are so looking forward to seeing the whole production on video where we can also witness Aidan in the chorus of boys (foreground in the video).

I'm wondering, can a grandmother get any prouder? I hope not, I might burst!

Tinusy

Back when my dear daughter, Kate, was in pre-first (1989) she wrote a book entitled, My Mom. She wrote that I was from Tinusy and I lived there with Nany, Popy, Bedy, Joody and Hoow. Now this wasn't bad writing coming from a young 5 year old but I realized that she was spelling phonically the way I talked...and that was pure Tennessean.

Over the years, as her writing has become exceptional and I have come to understand the value of a my small town upbringing, her little books have become even more endearing and I more proud of where I come from.

I spent five days in Tennessee recently and came home filled with a sense of strong family values and devotion... Kate's book says: "My Mom loves me. She hugs me and kisses me." " My Mom helps our family. she helps by cooking diner." ... Maybe I gave to my children what I learned after all.

I love it when my Mom comes into my room with a steaming cup of coffee, to talk while I'm making my bed or getting dressed for an outing. I feel like a young girl again and she is giving me some one on one attention. We laugh about being two old ladies together.

I love it when we visit my Father's grave, replacing old flowers with new, pulling weeds away from his sweet grave stone that Mom will one day share with him. When we finished, we read the names of all our family ancestors that are buried nearby: my sister, Betty, my Uncle Johnny, my grandparents Herman and Lela, my great-grandparents William Wilson and Laura Ada, my g-g-grandparents Richard and Molly, Robert and Nancy Owen and all those in between. Makes me feel solid.

On this day the sun was warm and the air filled with signs of Spring, I sat on Dad's tombstone while Mama talked with her sister, Paulette, who had joined us for lunch at a little make-shift coffee house on Watertown's square then rode with us to the cemetery at Jones Hill. Sitting there, it somehow felt like I was sitting on Dad's lap. It was really a very comforting time and as always, going back to that little Tennessee town brings back memories of a much simpler time. Was it better then? Maybe not, but I wish I had known then what I know now, I would have kept diaries with wonderful Tennessee words to tell its story.

On the way home we passed these beautiful white dogs tending a herd of goats. Mama laughed and said she didn't mind that I turned around to go back and photograph them. How nice to indulge one's self with this kind of foolishness. We made another stop at my nephew's house to pick up my computer that he had been working on. Now this fine young man needs a paragraph written about him of his own...

Josh, my brother's son, is a genius at working on computers, although his shyness, his reluctance to charge the going rate and the horrible tendinitis in his wrists, keeps him from becoming rich at his craft. None-the-less, as a favor to me, Josh took our computer on, after Terr crashed it trying to get rid of a horrible virus, wiping the whole thing out! There is no telling how many hours he spent recovering four years of data and putting our computer back as it once was (but faster!). I will never know all that he did, but I do know that he stayed up until 5AM the morning before I was to come back to Atlanta, so it would be ready for me to take. He would take nothing for his effort because I was family...he said, "you don't charge family". Boy, could we keep that man in poverty with the big family that we have!

I guess my point is, I am so proud of that boy (I know he's a man, but he's my brother's son) and I love him for wanting to do what he could for us. I owe him big time and I will pray for him daily that the pain goes away in his wrists and he will recover from this affliction. I usually only write about my children and grandchildren on Chatterbox, but this young man touched my heart and I in turn will always be there for him. Thanks Joshua!

I didn't mention that my sister had a car wreck and suffered a broken nose (broken in 4 places!) which required surgery. She totaled her car, and is facing many more days of missed work! But the good news is that she will heal and is going to be okay. For this I am so grateful! I was just glad that I was there to see her, cook dinner at her house and know that nothing could keep us apart and away from shopping together! God bless my sister, and my best friend. (I won't insert that picture I took with my cell phone...she would kill me!)

As always it was good to be back in Tennessee. I took Mom with me to the monthly luncheon of the ladies of the class of '65. Later, we watched old movies, cleaned the fish tank and just hung out together. How many 62 year old women do you know that can still go to the home they grew up in, with their mother still there, along with the memories and the laughter.

Tuesday night, my sweet husband greeted me with a warm smile and welcoming hugs and kisses, then with Bibles in hand we went off to Bible study together.

Again, I am blessed.

Kate's home!

Kate has returned from Costa Rica/Nicaragua after a two month long trip . She has had many adventures and seen many unusual sights. She has learned Spanish, met interesting people, experienced intense heat, the beauty of a coral reef, made many new friends and so much more.

Kate has much to tell and I hope that will unfold in the coming days after she gets over a case of mosquito induced Dengue Disease. She is very uncomfortable right now, red with a rash, headache and pain in her joints but with the hope of feeling better in about a week or so. Your love and prayers are welcomed.

The good has far out weighted the bad and Kate seems to be better off for the experience.

Welcome home, Kate. We have missed you and I think I can speak for all of us, we look forward to your tales of Central America.

(I know one of your dreams came true...getting to play with a monkey!)