JChase Writes-at 80 if I knew then what I know now...

 2 of 6 flower arrangements to sell at the October Craft Fair and I made them all! (Didn't find out the clear glue used to look like water takes up to 6 mos to solidify) Now for the real post... DYSLCALCULIA One of the several learning disabilities under Dyslexia and I discovered it over the weekend. I must admit I had come across it before but only looked at the Dyslexia and decided I did fall somewhere in that, but the description didn't fully fit me the way I thought it should, so I just ignored it. AND then along came this past weekend and for a reason I don't remember, I looked up dyslexia again and saw the "calcul" part of the word and was curious, so I clicked on it. Oh my... I still haven't really believed that there on the screen was nearly a perfect description of me and my experiences in learning and maintaining what I did learn. After all these years it's hard to believe there is an explanation for all the doubt and difficulty and wondering abo

Went to see the nurse and ended up in the ER then the hospital! Who knew? Well of course God knew. At some juncture the thought did occur to me that I was going to hospital, but it was a fleeting thought. Sure, enough one thing led to another and there I was at 10am in bed in the ER at the hospital where I worked a long time ago in the gift shop. The hospital that my youngest daughter spent most of her 30-year career as a nurse. She was who I called when the VA Nurse Practitioner advised me very strongly to go to an ER. We left my car in the parking lot and at about 10 checked into the ER without having to wait as I recall.  The whole protocol has changed since I was in hospital several years back. Now there is an ER doctor and hospitalists who are the hospitals doctors who rotate shifts who call all the shots literally. Specialists consult but it's the hospitalist who writes the orders for everything. He admits and discharges. Any other doctor in your life has not position except

So I've put some pictures up for you to see why I've named this post "Sometimes Life is Just Hard". When I moved into my new apartment there was a flowerbed on the right next to the garage on my way to the front door. It was full of white landscaping rock. Because my frontdoor along with my porch neighbor is an alcove that collects whatever the wind blows the white rocks collect that stuff and it looses it's attrativeness. Sooo, I advertised on marketplace for white landscape rock FREE for the taking. Not too many days after I posted there was a taker. He and his significant other were doing some landscaping and he wanted the rock. And he actually did come and get all the rock (or at least the white rock, there was more than one level). As advertised, he took both mine and my neighbors rock Well then what? I had no plan.So for the last several weeks the flower bed was bare dirt with the second layer of rock revealing itself here and there. So, while I was thinkin

Everything's a big mess in my new craft room. I clean up and then mess it up! an ongoing cycle and I absolutely love crafting in my craft room. There's going to be a craft fair at my new apartment complex in October. I understand they do so every year. Apparently I get 2 6' long tables at no charge and I can sell my crafts and keep all the proceeds. So I have begun my planning as well as crafting. My list of crafts to be ready to sell includes, hand crafted jewelry by me, refreshed old jewelry collected, origami folded paper shirts that hold money or a gift Card, junk journals and small paper books for notes titled "something to write on" designed for purse or wallet, jewelry crafts like wall hangings and yard sale items renewed that haven't sold in the past like ceramic containers with floral arrangement included and various other renewed or newly adapted for new uses items.   Have already started making, selecting things, cleaning things, refreshing things a

 Isn't it wonderful?                                                                                                                    So thankful for Mazie! Mazie  7.11#'s And she's beautiful. I've gotten lots of pictures thanks to my daughter who is with her daughter and her new baby daughter. Well, that's my big news. They live far far away but it's okay. When I was having my babies I lived far far away from my parents and grandparents. Technology may be frustrating sometimes but I'm sure thankful that I get to see her in real time on my laptop and hear the conversations  going on while I get to watch baby Mazie sleep. LOL, I think that's funny. It is actually fun and a treat to get to see her sleeping while life goes on around her she is all snuggled up sleeping.    In the mean time back at the cottage, I've unpacked the last box and busy now organizing the closets and each room, one at a time. Some rooms, like the craft room, are a continual or

 Over the past few months I've been leading a Bible Study group of generally 4 ladies, 5 including myself. I say leading rather than teaching because that's what happens. We are using a book written by Dr. Jeremiah "The God You May Not Know". Our group meets every week at the home of one of the ladies and is always relaxed and always a cold canned Pepsi is offered. We are all Seniors and range from the 60's to the 80's. My groups are usually talkers because I encourage questions and comments even small debates at times. The point is to learn from the material and each other. I truly believe Holy Spirit resides within each believer and He is our ultimate teacher and I like to hear what he has to say through each of the participants. Of course there must be constraints of sorts but that's to fit within our time limit and to stay on task. The Bible is on hand of course. This study has changed me and I am surprised and totally in! I've been a Christian, bo

You know there is a lot that goes into 80 years of living. April 15 I will celebrate my 80th birthday. As you might guess I've been considering how I got to 80. It just so happens that my life has been absolutely lived, absolutely! For some of us particular birthdays are like a time to evaluate and think about the age we are becoming before that particular number. Remember adding "a half" when you were a kid? Indicator that we were in a hurry to grow up, to reach a particular age. Maybe the age of an older sibling and a lot a times it meant we would be allowed to do something or have something when we get to be that age. Turning 80 is different. It's kinda funny to imagine now instead of saying I'm 79 and a half, it's probably more like digging my heals in the ground in an attempt to slow down and not get there so fast. Not that I don't want to be 80. Actually it's kind of a prize. What's really interesting is the looking back. At this age I'm

 What a Surprise!!!  An absolute Surprise!  Unexpected and beyond my plan... A lot has happened since my last writing and with all of that, I'm jumping to the now of it all. The IT is I'm moving May 1st out of my present place into the above half of a duplex. It's amazing to me. I was in the midst of relinquishing my present apartment for 2 weeks while the new owner renovated my apartment,when things went down a different road than I expected in the process. I decided I needed to find another place to live so I started the search online as well as contacting realtors I know personally to be on the look out for a rental house not an apartment. I got lots and lots of feed back and toured a couple of places when a particular senior complex came into view. As I looked at and considered house living and the cost and care, one of my realtor friends was pointing me towards a condo and suggesting other options other than a house. So, when the senior complex came to my attention I w

  That's the way it was just before the movers came in and took all my stuff away to a pod on the apartment complex property. I had packed and packed and packed some more until everything was in a milk box from the local grocery. Next came the hotel that Milo and I stayed in for a few days until the 16th of February. I had planned for a swimming pool and hot tub, even buying bathing suits but, alas it wasn't to be, so Milo and I took walks on the grounds of the hotel and visited the dog park which wasn't too very far away. And Tuesday late afternoon, finally home again with all new cabinetry and flooring and freshly painted walls. Same ole' address but new insides...and now the fun begins. Just a few boxes left to unpack and then it's all about finding/creating a place to put things. The bulk of my belongings is craft supplies and tools. My bedroom is now my craft room. Leaving a small space for the new twin bed, I've managed to create my new craft space. The ch

 February 2024 is already in process and it just keeps moving forward. Doesn't seem possible that the days should be allowed to move by so fast. It's actually always like that unless there's there's something pending up ahead you can't hardly wait for.  Like Christmas, Birthdays, meeting someone special, or going somewhere special. When those pending things are, well, pending time seems to go so slow. Otherwise I don't know about you but I seem to wake up and notice it's another weekend ahead and what happened to those days in between. So why this subject today...As my apartment complex continues to be renovated, everywhere I look, there's construction and heavy equipment, worker men everywhere. New, air conditioners per apartment, new roof over every apartment, front and back paint job, movers moving belongings from apartments to pods and back again. My apartment belongings are almost completely packed for Tuesdays move out. After my belongings are in s

"David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod." 2 Samuel 6 Just a loin cloth, nothing more. David's wife was distraught to say the least that he, David would uncover himself before the eyes of his servants' maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself/" (2 Samuel 6:20) David replied, "It was before the Lord...I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes"...David's wife had no children, which likely meant to communicate that God took David's side. The time the nation's leader danced in his underwear  (blog) fumcr.com I hear every once in a while about how hymns are so much better than the choruses sung now all over the world. I'm listening to Hillsong at this writing. My husband and I went to Christ For The Nations (CFNI) in Dallas, Texas and graduated in 1987. We were in our early 40's, the rest of the

A day trip to the University Museum with a bus load of Seniors. As you can see, I fit right in with the exhibition of dinosaurs.... Trying to concentrate on my next book writing title "6 Ways to Regularly Get God's Blessings" takes discipline! Takes tenacity, perseverance and time! BTW that's the temporary name of the next book. I read somewhere from an established author that it's best if an author doesn't give out information about the next or current book that is in process. The cool thing about this effort is what I'm learning about how tender God's heart is for those who heart who love Him.  And...I'm not entirely sure how the next one will be financed. I have thought I could step out and try to get one of the big 6 to publish it. Though I certainly am neither a known author nor a best selling author. Besides that, there are certain stringent requirements to even getting a manuscript in position to be even accepted or looked at or considered o

I'd been waiting, anxiously seemed like a long time to me. I opened the door to leave for Sunday School this past Sunday morning and there in the way of the storm door was a somewhat smashed brown cardboard box. At the moment I picked it up I couldn't think of anything I was expecting. I didn't read the label except my name. I had to get out a craft razor blade to use because the box was crumpled around the opening. I carefully slit the cardboard in a way as not to cut anything inside because, remember at this moment I don't know what's inside. Oh my goodness, it's my book! 5 of them as promised! And it's even better than I thought. Just the right size too. A short read as books go at 147 pages. I took a book with me to give to the church librarian for her to determine whether or not she would shelve it in the Church Library. Also took a copy to give to my grandson to take home to the family. At this point, I'm still stunned! Why? The reality of the book

 Well hello! I have a favor to ask of you. I know, I don't have any leverage over anyone who stops in on my blog so I'm not trying to pull something here.  Really! Look, I don't claim to be old or anything!!! But, I am aware that I'm not up on all the ways and means of blogging. I haven't read up on the whys and wherefores', etiquette or anything. Honestly speaking, I just got on here, opened/signed up for a blog and here I am. I don't know what is customary and another thing, I'm trying to get my post read by more than 7 people. Well, one time it was 9. So here's my request after all that honesty. I'd love to hear from YOU, If you've gotten this far in this writing this time around. Would you please comment? I would like some encouragement in writing here. And... If you are feeling gracious and have the time and inclination leave a comment on how I might draw readers. I know, I know...I've sorta read how to do that but...I don't get

 There it is...the front cover of my first ever book to be released soon. I'm just thrilled about becoming a published author at 79.  Would have never, never imagined that this could possibility become a reality for me. I've been writing a long time but not for publishing. Mostly journaling over the past 10 years. I have written some stories but never published or even really thought it possible. And, yes this is a self published book. Let me explain... Use to be there were publishing company's that would evaluate a manuscripts, decide whether or not they thought it would sell, hand the author a big check, publish the book with very little revenue going to the author.  Well they won't take a manuscript to even look at it. They won't accept a manuscript unless you are already a best selling author. Then there is a protocol to follow.  Today, if you want to have a manuscript to publish you can but you have to pay up front or some will allow a payment plan. Your manusc

 I just wrote a post yesterday. And now I'm back because I wanted to change my picture to a more current one and the one I like best. In that process it occurred to me that I've gotten one comment and it's from a local fried of mine. Every time I post, I look at the stats to see if anyone is stopping  by in to read. There are a few sometimes and none at other times.  The reason I have this blog is because my book is about to be available to anyone who wants to read it either in paper back or e book "Without Spot or Wrinkle" is the title. I read somewhere that I should have a website so that's the first reason I set this one up. Also I've had other's in the past. Some I lost all the posts and a couple are somehow attached to this blog. First, I just like to write. Second, I have things to say to my age group that I believe are helpful and encouraging in the living day to day. If you are a senior and you read my post...any or all...please, oh please leav

 Can I get any more awed than this? The book is now in the editing stage at "my publisher"! Working with the pros to get it ready for print, etc. And then I get this phone call see...and it's from the director of a non-profit. He was a friend of my husband so a friend of mine but, besides that, the request I made to the foundation result, came to me through the phone call and the gift given is $2,000 minimum. The publisher is a self-publishing publisher so there is a fee for getting a book published. Vanity publisher is what they, all self-publishers, were called. Things have changed in that realm of getting a book out there and it's because the 5 big publishing houses are so hard to even get your manuscript seen that the self-type has become the now, apparently, way to get a book published. I did my research on this. The publisher I chose is among the least expensive with the most all around means of printing and marketing. And a most important part of this for me i