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

The following are pictures of some of the crafts I am making for the October Craft Fair in my community that will be open to the city. Another picture is of two little blue pots with neat bouquets which will sell as a pair or single and beside them is a writing journas which I made including sewing the signatures (smaller grouped pages that make up the whole boo). This style of journal is called "Junk Journals". Within the pages are little suprises of little pockets to hold anything you want, like cash or pictures, notes, movie tickets. I like to encourage journalling because is can have such a positive effect on the individual. I personally use my journals like a diary but also write prayers out. The next photos are of little books. I call the sall ones "Something to Write On.They are to carry in a purse These pictures are of the crafts I'm making for the October Craft Fair in my community. I', signing off to the sounds of fire works in the night because it

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

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

 Seems that all around me things are changing. Everything is changing. Since my last post...just the other day...you know my housing has changed. Funny thing is happening on my way to April 15th this year, I'm changing to 80! Now there's a number! 80! How does it feel? I dun-no! Actually, it feels great, absolutely great. Interestingly, I'm younger. Yes, younger. On the inside, still in my 30's, on the inside of my head that is. The body, well that's another issue. Though things are changing there too, my outlook on the whole thing is surprisingly upbeat. I'm the most comfortable with myself than I have ever been. I do things that I want to do. Want as in choose to do. Not from a selfish point of view but rather a considered decision based on is it a good thing for me and others to do what I think I want to do. That's a whole other take on living if you truly think about it. In the past I did things because, I should...someone told me to...I had to...it was

  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

 Hi and Merry Christmas! A short post just to let you know I'm around and so very busy with the season. Made some cards today and wrote them myself... on the front in handwriting      In the beginning, God had a plan for mankind...                          To live and not die. Inside      When there seemed to be no way...                Jesus made the way...      From the manger to the cross.                A second opportunity to choose life was born In a manger and was nailed to a cross                And rose from death to life                                for      The second opportunity to choose life forever.           Glory To God in the Highest!                          Merry Christmas Well, I thought it was memorable and done on a white multi media card stock on the front of this card is a wreath in water colors all the writing is on white paper torn around the writing and glued on the white card. Looks very dramatic and if I were good enough to be able to get the picture

 Every morning Milo and I go for a walk around the apartment complex we live in. This particular morning the air was just a little bit crisp! So out of the ordinary for this year's SW Texas Summer temps. A wonderful indicator of the changing season. It's been a hotter Summer than last year, even the cotton crop shows the result of days and days of over 100 degrees. Welcome Fall, to Lubbock, Texas. We are all glad you're here. These are beautiful days but there is a bit of an anxious feeling in the air around me.  I keep thinking that there will be an email announcing that the book is ready. But, there are still a few hurdles between then and now. There's so much ahead of me when the book actually is in my hand and it's all unknown to me. I love adventure and even the unknown ahead brings a bit of excitement along with just a tad of "can I do this?", and yet I know I can because He is going before me, actually has already paved the way through the marketing

 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

It is!....Hello! They will let me know when it's time to proof their work on the inside and cover. Can hardly wait to see what they have designed for the cover. Also there were some issues with the picture of my painting of geese. It came out blurry though it was the 300 dpi required. So, I don't know what will show up. I sent one more picture of the painting. The painting is made up of 3 canvas' and they hang together to make one long progressive painting. So, I sent the last painting picture which is of large geese closeup and I hope it looks better and that it can be used. The issue is that there is text about the painting itself, making reference to it in a couple of places. So, if there isn't a picture..... It's all so surreal that I'm gonna be a published writer. I just hope people read it.  AND, I'm on the third chapter of the next book. It was expensive to pay for this self publish and so far the payment process is working out with God's help alo

 Boys Howdy, what a week this has been and more exciting stuff coming up ahead and my headlights are on and I'm shifting gears moving forward with the publishing of my first ever book, Without Spot or Wrinkle.  Just at the end of this week the final reports and editing are turned in and I've been notified that the next phase of publishing is beginning this week coming. Now, it's all about the cover. I've already chosen some things and they are: a glossy finish of the cover, cream color paper of the pages inside. The team that does the cover will pull together a cover and place the text on the front as well as the photo and bio on the back of the cover and send a copy to me for review.  Having sent them my idea for the cover it will be interesting to see what they have designed and since they are the pros in the area of outward design it's gonna be fun to see. I can hardly wait. Not sure what the time frame is but I'm sorta expecting a week or two. It'll be t