Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now am found, was blind and now can see. Twas grace that taught my heart to fear; and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed. My chains are gone, I've been set free. My God, my Savior, has ransomed me. And like a flood his mercy reigns, unending love, amazing grace. The Lord has promised good to m His word my hope secures. He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures. My chains are gone, I've been set free. My God, my Savior, has ransomed me. And like a flood his mercy reigns, unending love, amazing grace. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun forbear to shine. But God who called me here below, will be for ever mine, will be forever mine, You are forever mine.

"Fairy Trees"

Tonight I am going to take you to a place only people very close to me ever see.....the inner workings of my brain. One doctor I saw a couple of years ago referred to it as a, neurological mess." Needless to say, I never went back to him again. Someone else that I love a lot once said, "honey now that is a scary place, your brain....but then you have always been differently special!" There is a child in my brain who is at play constantly. Some have referred to her as a very breakable china doll. True my feelings get hurt easily and mend slowly, but one must remember that this child sees the world from a totally different perspective. These mind problems are not always positive and do not always turn out well. I have found myself entirely too trusting and often really not rational. Impulsive, yes and very bull headed....One of the nicer things is that the older I get the wiser I get or at least I believe I am. Do you ever wonder if you may be your very smartest just before you enter heaven? When I was three or four I use to search in our woods for "fairy trees"(Trees with knots in the trucks at ground level). I named these "fairy trees" and would spend all day making the fairies furniture out of sticks and weed and leaves so their houses would be nice when they returned. In doing this, I saw every leaf and it's texture and color. Tiny twigs became bed posts and flower stems and flowers became the covers and bindings. To this day I can spot a "fairy tree" from quite some distance and the colors of Fall make it my favorite season. I spent a lot of time by myself when I was young and a considerable part of that was in a fantastic land of make believe, on my back on the ground watching the leaves twist and turn as they fell to the ground. My troubling thought is that no one takes time to dream anymore or pretend. I have tried to pass this on to my grand kids and they prefer computers and cell phones. How do you set goals for yourself and listen to what God is trying to tell you if you cannot be quiet long enough to hear? There are some things that are very high on my list. Rain on a tin roof....wind through prairie grass, the smell of new hay and the morning cackling of a hen when she is laying. My goats use to stay right with me all day, as did my dog and when they thought I had worked enough they would convince me to sit for a while, and they would love on me. Right now the goat and the dog are both gone but have been replaced by someone who sure knows how to take me on long rides and hold my shaky hand and my world is ok. love you always, pokie

How's your garden going?

When Joe Parkinson's came knocking at my door four years ago this is the thing he stole from me that hurt the worse.....my ability to put out and maintain a beautiful and weed free garden. There is not one thing about gardening i don't like except deer flies and deer ticks. Deer flies can be stopped with excessive bug spray and deer ticks can be detoured but not stop ed by long sleeves and long pants with duck tape wound with the sticky side out. You'd be surprised how many of these pests you can catch and dispose of this way except you could have died of heat stroke today with all that on since the heat factor was 108. I have passed my garden spot on to my son-in-law and his friend. Tonight they brought me cabbage and they are picking green beans, peppers and cucumbers. When the tomatoes come on in full force, the freezing and canning starts for the winter. All my kids and I have a deep freeze and I freeze more now than can. The weekend I will be going to my first class reunion. It not theirs but mine. The first I have attended in 45 years and my home town is in the boot hill of Missouri which is peach country this time of the year. So, on my way back , in request from my grand kids, I am to pick up "forking peaches", which is peaches in heavy syrup in a easy to hold on to container because you eat them while still frozen with a fork in little pieces. Gives you brain freeze every time but they love them. Joe thought he had really pulled something off when he made me exit the farm chores I have always loved so much but little did he know he can't take them away from me. on my last days the memories will still cause my eyes to twinkle and shin...love Pokie