JChase Writes-at 80 if I knew then what I know now...
I'm a self Published Author!!! The name of my 1st book...I said, 1st book is "Without Spot or Wrinkle". A non fiction Christian look at where the universal Christian church is on Loving thy neighbor. Hope you will keep a lookout for it. Here I write about what my life is like in the Senior lane 80 and upwards.
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
There's been a breakthrough!!!
Saturday, October 19, 2024
Miracles Do Happen Today
Aspen
The above painting is one of four paintings I have done in the last 3 weeks or so. I will be posting all four soon with an explanation of why the Aspen and why so many.
....
This post is about a friend of mine who I will call "JJ"! She is 81 and lively, interested in everything with always something interesting and fun to hear about. JJ had not been feeling well for a few days and at the advice of friends and family I took her to a local ER satellite. Within a couple of hours she was in hospital and the subject of all kinds of testing. After all the preliminaries it was decided that she had at sometime had a major heart attach and an angiogram would be administered. On about the 4th morning of her stay the test was administered. All seemed to be expecting that the left side of her heart was dead mostly and much scarring was present in her heart muscle. Very grim. JJ didn't know about what the preliminary test findings were or exactly why the angiogram would be done.
The test results were made known to the family first, but not until the following day. There was no evidence of scarring or damage done to her heart ever. Nothing at all showed up, her heart muscle is as it should be at age 81 for a female. The only reason for her crisis was an infection which was readily taken care of before leaving the hospital.
JJ is home and taking things a bit slower than the norm for her and gaining strength day by day. The apparent infection had gotten into her blood stream thus the need for taking the meds given and living a bit slower for a few days.
It's now been just a little over a week since she got to go home and she's back in full activity, rejoicing at what God did in her body.
Here's what I think! In this world today, the last thing we look for is a miracle. When one does occur the temptation is to explain it away. I say, don't do that! Miracles can and do happen everyday everywhere and to anyone. People have become so cynical and the sad thing about it is, we miss what our Creator is doing everyday. So, what if it isn't a miracle? Yea?, so what? What if it is!? and what if He did it for you! or someone you love, or know or heard about?
God, the Creator of all things created, does miracles all the time. Even in your life. I believe it's a better way to think about the things that happen in our lives as we go along, especially in the days that we are living in.
I challenge you to look for miracles, good things everywhere you are everyday. Start pointing them out to yourself and others. Look for the little things and pay attention to what you are seeing, hearing and what's going on around you. Look for good....I guarantee you will find the good if you intentionally look for it.
It's me, Judy in the Cottage on a Saturday. Hope you enjoy this post and will comment. God Bless all that you lay your hands to as you seek to see his heart for you. Psalm 139
Sunday, October 6, 2024
Something Happened when I Turned 80
It's October, that's nearly 6 months since my 80th birthday and I still am amazed that I'm actually 80 years old or young. "How can it be?" I say to myself quite regularly. It's even reflected in the mirror. I mean I had the normal aging skin as the normal American woman and then along came my 80th birthday. What's that about?
Here's what I have to say about all that....quite honestly I don't understand it? I'm actually still 30ish on the inside, that didn't change! Still looking for something meaningful to do with the rest of my life. (Been doing that since I was 30ish.) I am more sure of myself now than I ever was and even know who I am. Almost think it would have been great if I'd known that when I was 30ish. Plus what I know now about God's heart for me and those around me and learning more about that daily.
I'm actually beginning to realize that I've lived a long time and know things those younger than myself don't know anything about. They have no point of reference, therefore are clueless about some of the things I talk about. Understanding that everyday conversations have my inserts of past experience and understanding from knowledge of how things work that cannot be known by the younger in the conversation because they didn't live it and I did. Know what I mean?
I think the listener does but I'm wrong. If they are more than 5 years younger, they can't conceive the fullness of my opinion or answer or deductions even if they are a history buff. Why? because they weren't there, present for the reality of whatever the subject might be, more especially if it's lifetimes lived. Nor can that person see it from my point of view because of the difference in life on earth living.
I should now understand why I get flack in all kinds of demonstration. I think what I say should be understood as a given. Things I don't mention because I assume the listener understands because I do. BUT they don't and it's natural that they wouldn't...but I didn't get that until 80. Actually come to think of it happens with my age group and in those cases it's because of the difference in the life they lived. Or get this, even the difference is because they don't know what I know because I never mentioned what I know about a particular subject or whatever. It didn't come up or there was no need to mention what I knew about a thing. Get it?
Looks like I'm saying that when we converse with others and get odd responses, don't be offended. Ya just can't explain what you mean by every word you use when there's personal history behind that word or thought that causes you to have a different perspective. I mean...you can't explain every word/thought you have sometimes. Or maybe think you don't have to...
Maybe this is more about both the speaker and the listener. As a listener, if I don't understand something I let the speaker finish what they are talking about and if it hasn't been explained in the total of what they were saying, then I ask questions.
I'm just picking up on all this stuff at 80. This started when people started saying things that told me they either don't believe what I said, or they just don't know what I'm talking about and they try to attach what I've said to something they understand. (btw it doesn't work that way.). Well it is confusing from where I sit. Although when people find out that I'm 80 they say no, more like 60...go figure!
Here's the bottom line as far as I'm concerned. I shall live until I die, I shall be busy until I can't, I will bypass aches and pains and discomfort and just do it anyway whatever it is I want to do, and...I won't tell anyone I might be hurting, not feeling well, can't do something because I'm tired!!! That's concerning living a normal day in a normal way for me. If I really can't do something physically then I won't do it. No complaining. If I really need to go to a doctor I will. The second commandment reads, love your neighbor as you love yourself...I shall love myself by taking care of myself so that I can love my neighbor.
What does that mean to me? I'm making changes in what I eat...backing off of processed foods as much as I can. Making my own bread, not buying boxed foods as much as possible. Eating real sugar but not white, using pink salt, cooking not going out or no fast foods as much as possible. Using real butter, no carbonated drinks. And so on. No covid vaccines but have taken a forever flue, pneumonia, and shingles. Will not take any further vaccines. Will start drinking water that is pure, no additives of anykind. and not from the tap (have to investigate this one). As for loving my neighbor I'm working on 1 Corinthians 13:4...
That's it for this post. May the God of all creation Bless you all, your coming in and going out, everything you lay your hands to as you abide in him and he in you, give you favor and prosper you in health, friendships, family and in the pursuit of living right every day. I'm Judy in the cottage starting my day early.
Please leave a comment before you leave. Thanks, it means a lot to me even if it's just Hi!
Monday, September 16, 2024
Dyscalculia at 80
That's my cat Iris. First is the cabinet being dismantled in part. Second is the working cabinet. The piece propped up on the side is the inside of the front door.
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Budgeting Social Security at 80, oh dear!
You'd think that at 80 years old one would have mastered working with a monthly budget...you would think! Living on Social Security is not for the meek. When I think about it I think well how hard can it be? I get one check every month and it's the same amount every month. Right? Right!
So what's the problem?
Good question, what is the problem Judy?
Okay, I'll tell you the problem. The amount of the check never varies. It's always the same and the date I receive it is always the same unless the date it is due is on a weekend or holiday and then it comes on the Friday before it's due.
That sound's easy enough!
Let me finish. After setting up the due date with my apartment I then make arrangements with the bank. Then the month starts and the auto payments for rent, electricity and all the other regular payments to be made begin hitting the bank. So far so good.
Then one of the auto payments is increased from the merchant and you didn't get a warning, or at least you don't remember getting a notice soon. So one of the first checks bounce so you go look at your budget and discover one of the auto pays took 2 payments at the same time. So now you are in trouble. So you hurry up today to instigate a change on the spreadsheet you've been working off of. And so it goes for the next 2 weeks. It all looks pretty good with just a few minor number changes. Somewhere in the last week you get notification that a payment was not made. And you apparently spend the money because you thought all the payments have been clearing day by day and though there were a few surprises things are looking pretty good.
So because you are confident in the numbers, You start doing a little at a time of shopping. Then a bill in the in box says that you had forgotten to pay. That sort of thing seems to continue on through the next 2 weeks and before you know it there's just few dollars left.
AND THEN...the car starts acting up making loud tapping noises and it just keeps getting louder and then, oh no, the engine light comes on. Ok, that's it, time to call the mechanic. Now the car is in the garage until later this week and I' thinking about having it towed, that is if the insurance covers that reason for towing. I'll know that in the morning when I call the insurance. At this point I refuse to worry about where's the money coming from to fix the car?
Because there's no piggy bank or sock under the matteess and the wallet is empty there's only one other option. If you're thinking what I'm thining thaen that one last option is "faith and trust" that The God that created all that is created is well able and even willing to see me through this and so that's where I am as I type. I'm hoping and continuing to pray asking for more favor than usual. That's what I'm determined to do is quite fretting over this issue at the beginning of already designated funds with nothing extra left...I trust that God will make a way....
To be continued
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
The Wedding
Update...Wedding was great and couple are now Mr. and Mrs. and all the guests are gone, place is cleaned up and couple are on their honey moon. As for me? Whew, I've had a day of rest and plan on a couple more then hit the floor running toward the Craft Fair...have much to do but not today, tomorrow or the next day. It was fun, the wedding lovely and the reception great with lots of relatives to get caught up with. The couple will come back to their little cottage that's all fixed up and she is moved in for the most part, just her clothes and other personal items. The new life for them has begun, God bless them and their lies together, Amen
The Wedding
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Working through blogging...
Hi, I could have named this short blog "persistence"! Ya know what?...I just write and publish, write and publish and sometimes check the stats to see if anyone is reading. AND people are from all over the world. Yippee! There is a huge "but" in it all.
I have yet to figure out how to find out what I want to know about how to do the right thing to get comments, respond to comments even how to get readers and figure out how to put ads on my blog and make some money if that's even a good thing to do. Just want my readers to know I work on all that from time to time but don't make any headway. I want to have followers and discussions and even others to submit a post from time to time but not there yet.... and yes I've read and read and read...just don't get it.
Just so you know!
😊
There's been a breakthrough!!!
This a short post but I just have to make record of this breakthrough of my blog. I have a comment from a reader outside close friends. So...
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