Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Oh my Heart...Four Generations, Lovely Sayings, Truly Precious Things, My Mom

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Four Generations

This is a photo recently taken at our little grandson, Christopher Robin's family birthday party.    You see my mom's hand at the bottom, my hand, our daughter's hand and then her little 18 month old baby girl, our little grand daughter.   I loved the way it turned out, Grace took the shot.

 

Christopher Robin's mommy and daddy have such wonderful writings as decor in their home also in the Forest...

 

This one is  handwritten with chalk on a framed chalkboard...

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We are Rich!

A pillow to lay our head

Four walls to protect us

A loving home

Love for one another

Food on our table

Clean water

And a God who loves 

us beyond measure! 

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The most important work you will ever do, will be within the walls of your home. 

 

 

 

If you want to bring happiness to the whole world go home and love your family    ~Mother Teresa

 

Aren't those beautiful?   I loved them.  Beautiful Truths. 

 

Christopher Robin had the sweetest little birthday party, just immediate family and his little cousins.   Vintage spider man comic book images hung from red spirals and blue and red balloons adorned everything.   Our daughter, Zuzu, Christopher Robin's mommy got his old Spider Man dress-up suit and attached it up on the wall and the little cousins played pin the web on Spider man with string.  So sweet..  Zuzu made a big zucchini pasta gravy casserole and a huge salad along with a homemade birthday cake.   So fun, and so good and so much love shared.

 

 

 

One of the most cherished things in the world is to be loved and respected by a child, especially when it's our own grandchild, this is from Christopher Robin, he wrote us a Valentine, drew us a picture and picked out little gifts for us:

 

Kazoos!    He even wrapped them for us so sweetly in construction paper...  Oh my heart!   We called him later and played our kazoos!

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Oh But This One....

"What constitutes success?  She has achieved success who has lived well;  laughed often and loved much;  who has gained the respect of intelligent people and the love of little children;  who has filled her niche and accomplished her task;  who has left the world better than she found it;...who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty, or failed to express it;  who has always looked for the best in others and given the best she had."   

~Bessie Stanley


Our youngest daughter, Grace had this large print (below) done for me for my birthday and I just love it, as many of you know, we lost three of our precious fur angels in 8 weeks last fall.   

We had little Muffie for many years, since 2008, when he found us.  It's a mystery to how old our little guy was when Joycie found him in the intersection one day, he was just sitting and waiting for her.

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Muffie 

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I put the art print in a grouping with his little paw and nose print and precious card with a prayer that the vet and staff sent to us.  

 

 

Grace, our youngest adult daughter gave me this for Valentines!   It's a tiny portrait of me holding little Muffie This may contain: a small white dog sitting on top of a brown floor and precious Coffee-girl is on the left...This contains an image of:  We lost Coffee at the end of August if you recall, she was my little girlfriend and we lost Muffie in November.

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My mom.

The physical therapist said she has become much stronger and that is a blessing.  She has dementia so that can be heartbreaking but our family is trying to find good natured humor in funny little things she will do, and sometimes?   She will snap right back to her old self, doing far better as a whole.   A Gift.

 

 

As we go on to know Him better we shall find it a source of unspeakable joy that God is just what He is.  

~A.W. Tozer 

 

I must testify to God's faithfulness!   He has gone before us.  So many times I've been quite nervous about things (for good reason!), and Jem will reassure me, don't worry, don't be nervous, it's going to work out!   And before the day is out he will say...See?   I told you so.

 

The doctor who took care of her in the rehab could not see her until June. That was the Lord.   I prayed one morning...Who can we bring my mom to for a well rounded checkup and wisely remove some of the unnecessary meds?   In not much time at all, God gently put it on my heart, a doctor who is a Christian and one she had gone to 20 years before as well as me taking Janie our eldest to back when.   What a blessing!   Jem said that not only is he the nicest doctor he has met but probably one of the nicest persons he has met!   He remembered me from 20 years ago, and quickly took her off some of the things that were not necessary at all before I even had to mention it.  Hallelujah!   He even loved my son in laws natural sleep aid for her!  


Speaking of Dementia...

I would like to recommend a special program that PBS is still playing right now:   Supercharger Brain, Maximizing Your Cognitive Abilities.  This program is both fascinating and encouraging, this will help us all, I do believe.   There are two very pleasant Italian ladies, one a neuroscientist, and one an associate Professor of Neuroscience at Cornell Medicine along with others.  There are wonderful testimonies of various people in various stages of life.  EDIT 3.6.24  Please check your listings, the above program is still playing in our area on pbs on regular antenna television.

 

This is not a special where there is one speaker on a dark stage, far more interesting than that.  I'm so happy I dvrd it.  You will see, things like a group of nuns who love to learn, a man who was diagnosed with Alzheimers who is beating it, very nice examples, all of them,  it is highly encouraging.


Jem and I are going to learn to speak Italian together, there are so many resources we can get to learn, we purchased a cd for the car and there is an adorable youtube on it.  I've joined a poetry site, I'm still sewing Little Dresses for Africa experimenting with trims and such.  Any educational leaflet from say...Hillsdale College we receive in the mail I am carefully reading and learning from.   When reading my Bible I am learning even from that in layers.    

 

I'll close with this song Jem and I will hear in the car occasionally, I think it's just...so pretty.  Oh the memories, oh my heart...

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Unchained Melody (1965)

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How we leave the world is more important than how we enter it.      ~Janette Oke 

 

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Me, (a little tot) and my Mom

 

 

Oh how I miss my dad...There are days when I say...Oh Daddy, I so need your help.  The other morning when I was at the kitchen sink though...I could hear in my dad's voice...I'm proud of you.

Oh my heart... 

Take care all, praying for you all, and I always covet your prayers.  I appreciate you all.

~Amelia 

 

14 comments:

LaurieS said...

Amelia, you make me cry. I'm so glad your Mother is doing much better and that you have found a wonderful DR. for her. I love that song.

Have a blessed day.

Cheryl Kimbley said...

So happy to hear your mom is getting stronger and has those 'good' moments of clarity. Each thing a blessing.
Sounds like some sweet times with the little one!
That is one of my favorite songs.
Be blessed dear and know you and your family are still in my prayers.

Amelia said...

Thank you so much Laurie, I'm very blessed that you were touched by what I wrote, life is such a mystery and the Father is so faithful to us. Some things seem like yesterday to us... There is something about that song isn't there? God bless you Laurie and thanks again, have a wonderful day in the Lord.

Amelia said...

Thank you so much, Cheryl. Yes, sometimes we are amazed and some times we get tickled and sometimes we are sad, life is so delicate as we all learn right?

The little ones say the sweetest things ever and the sweet little birthday party so blessed my heart, like stepping back in time. He stood out on their old fashioned porch and shouted to us as we were walking to the car.."Thank you!!! I had the best day ever!!!"

You too be blessed Cheryl, I'm very thankful we're still in your prayers, you don't know how I appreciate that.

EM Griffith said...

What a beautiful, beautiful blog post, Amelia. You have such a way of expressing all the precious moments and feelings that make life something of a miracle. I'm so, so glad your mom is getting stronger and having snippets of her old self come through. Praise God for that! We keep you and your hole family in our family prayers, sweet lady.

Thank, you, too, for the information about the series and the wonderful song! The series is of great interest to me for very personal reasons. It can be hard not to worry about genetics. My mom is still up all night and barely eating. The staff at the memory care home is excellent, though, and the doctor has dropped some meds, changed some meds, and tried to reason with her about eating, pointing out her steady weight loss. From the look of it, she's in advanced Alzheimer's now. Her mom also had Alzheimer's before she passed when I was expecting our youngest son. It's not unfamiliar territory, which helps somewhat. Sis tells me that mom mentions I've "just visited" all the time and it makes her happy to think so. She remembers the much, much younger me. She wouldn't recognize the 62 yr. old me. Since I'd like her to be as comfortable and content as possible--and pray for that daily--we've decided a trip now would do more harm than good.

Lots of time in prayer, daily reading and plenty of enjoying the sunny, spring like weather we've been having is a bit of a balm. We have so very much to be grateful for. You're one of those things, dear friend. (((Hug)))
--Elise

EM Griffith said...

OOPS! your WHOLE family (blush)

Amelia said...

Thank you so much Elise, that means so much and encourages my heart. Every day is truly a journal page isn't it? God is with us.

I'm praying for your mama too, it's so hard I sure can understand. I'm still haunted by my mom in the hospital seeing me come through the door of her room that morning, and saying with tear filled eyes...."Mama". ...Broke and breaks my heart.

If you cannot find the program on pbs? I think they may sell the dvd of the show? Here is the link and I will put the hyperlink above as well in the blog entry: https://www.pbs.org/show/supercharge-your-brain-maximizing-your-cognitive-abilities/

Dr. Genova (the neuroscientist in the program) her Nana had Alzheimer's so this is very personal with her too and she really has a way of encouraging. I remember a long time ago, my father inlaw had Alzheimer's and his nutritionist had a mother with Alzheimer's...it makes a difference, they understand in their heart and have such compassion.

Yes, that is good that your mom is remembering you in that way, and even that she thinks "you just visited". It's hard though. We just don't know what to think sometimes.

It was a beautiful day outside, Jem and I planted a lot of different things today so I was away from my computer much of the day. : ) Just a beautiful day outside.

I'm thankful to God for you being you sweet friend, sending my care and prayers and a supertight (((hug))) ~Amelia

Amelia said...

For anyone interested in the "Supercharging Your Brain..." program, it is still playing on antenna television on pbs. In our area it will be coming on tonight again so please consider checking your program schedule.

Sherry said...

God is putting every puzzle piece in place to further your mom's care and your well being too. :) He's a good good Father - always faithful. it's by His strength you continue day by day. blessings. sherry

Amelia said...

Hello Sherry, so nice to see your happy face this morning.: ) Yes, thank you for that encouragement. It's so true! He truly goes before us! Hubs had minor surgery yesterday and I cannot tell you how God has gone before us in very, very special ways.

God bless you Sherry! ~Amelia

Anonymous said...

Love this! ❤️❤️❤️
What a precious picture and memory of Muffie. So sweet of Gracie to do! A very thoughtful gift.
How fun y’all are learning Italian! There really are so many great free resources out there if we take advantage of them!

Amelia said...

Anonymous, Yes, I adore that print of Muffie! A perfect and thoughtful gift.

Yes! It's very entertaining to learn italian, there is a very fund man on youtube that teaches Italian for beginners and we've enjoyed that too when we have time.

Thank you for taking your valuable time to come by and comment!

Blessings!

Marianna said...

This is a beautiful post! Love the picture of the generations. That’s truly special. Also all the sweet puppy pics are really neat! That was a great and thoughtful gift to receive. I still need to watch the brain show — maybe while I’m resting up I will watch it tomorrow. That is awesome that y’all are working on Italian, etc! Love that so much! I enjoyed the post in general and am enjoying the song too — love it!

Amelia said...

Hi Marianna, yes, you will thoroughly enjoy the brain program! I love the two Italian women neuroscientists! They seem very down-to-earth as well.

I'm so glad you enjoyed the post, thank you. Yes, that was a wonderful gift! I was not expecting that at all! Beautiful.

It's kind of fun learning Italian, you should try it! The youtube manI found is very enjoyable. He makes it easy. We need to get back on it!

Isn't that song the best???? Oh my heart! : )