Pictorial tribute to Lucinda Outler, My Mom

Though she is gone, she is still with us and we will see her again. Love you so much Mommy. You will forever be my girl...my best friend. Thank you for everything

Mom's Highschool Graduation Pic

Mom & Daddy on the right (guess who that is standing in front of them. LOL. Yes. It's me!)

They made a stunning couple.

Looking lovely once again.

Showing us 1 of her 2 dance moves!

Such a sweetheart.

All ready for church

Enjoying a chilly day in Garfield Heights

      

VALENTINE'S DAY WILL FOREVER BE THE SWEETEST DAY, FOR ME

He strolled past with a swagger
That I'll never forget
Flashed a charming smile, a greeting and yet
In that brief moment I thought, "Hmmm?"
Broad shoulders, rich chocolate; he filled the room

Covered in brick dust, a working man
On a mission, lunch break
Would he go for pizza or a piece of cake?
In that brief moment I thought, "Hmmm?"
Broad shoulders, rich chocolate; he filled the room

We landed in the deli of Whole Foods
Searching for a taste treat
He asked. I said, "Tuna with cranberries, I don't eat meat...."
We talked. A Christian, with a voice so smooth. "Hmmm!!"
Broad shoulders, rich chocolate; oh yes, he filled the room

Little did we know this was an appointed time
This meeting Spirit led
On Valentine's Day in church we were wed
I looked into his eyes ... "What a sweet face."
Thank you Jesus for your grace and for filling our empty space.

Oh I HAVE BEEN SO REMISS...PLEASE FORGIVE ME

Have you ever had so much going on that you just had to postpone the handling of one thing to handle 200 others? Well, of course you have. You are a woman just like me. But I promise very shortly, I am going to get my Blog back up to date. I have some wonderful things to share with you. Please continue to keep Mom in your prayers. I am so appreciative to those of you that keep in contact regarding Mom and sharing your caregiving experiences with me. She has always been my best friend and these years with her have been a blessing. Enjoy your Valentine's Day! Check out The Mom Squad Blog for some interesting ideas and tips. Here's some flowers for you. Adios.

Another Wonderful Season of Life...Grandparenting

I have seen it...heard people talk about it...BUT NOW I AM ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE IT!!! Yes, my middle child, Beranda is about to have my first biological grandchild and it feels like this will be the first grandchild ever born in this world. hahaha  I mean I am filled with so much anticipation I can hardly fathom what this will actually feel like. I am about to meet my new little best friend.

As I sat at the hospital today, watching the various monitors, hearing a very strong heartbeat, I had so many flashbacks of my daughter as a little girl. Her knees never touched the ground; she went from doing a crab crawl (hands and feet only) to standing and walking. She was always cleaning and straightening things up.  She became the self-proclaimed Golden Child but in time we all agreed that the title was a great fit. Strong willed, forthright, determined, a self starter, great student, honest, hardworking...one of the most dedicated friends one could ever have and she has such an incredible way with children...that is my sweetheart...lovingly called Ms. B. I know she is going to be one of the most awesome Moms EVER!

After many hours, we got an all clear and returned to our respective homes BUT I believe that little girl will be here before long AND I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO MEET HER...my little Kalaya.

 Thank you Lord for allowing me to experience yet another season of life!

Just saw Billy The Exterminator for the first time on A&E..AWESOME

And you know we need help. I have written about my rodent woes several times but now we have a new predator...RACCOONS. May it is like a rotation effort around here. The skunks were king and I tried everything I could think of to get rid of them. Pest control came and caught quite a few (along with some wild cats) but the next year more returned. Oh how embarrassing when they spray the house in the middle of the night and our clothes smell the next day. Then the groundhogs came and set up shop under the house. When they run and fight I can actually feel them under the floor board under my feet. It is downright scary and at times it wakes me in the middle of the night. I need all the rest I can get in order to care for Mom. BTW, she is doing really well. Thanks for your prayers. But these raccoons take the cake. They are now pulling the gutter board off by reaching down from the roof. Then they pull the pink insulation out and throw it on the ground. Now the pest control is out of traps because Garfield is "overrun" with rodents. Though we are on the list for traps for next week (if any are returned) I wrote to Billy The Exterminator. I saw the show for the first time tonight and I sure hope he and his crew comes to Garfield. They're all so cute but they are menaces and can be dangerous.

Shae Shae Turns 31!

Oh what a blessing this wonderful child has been to me. Though she is 31, she will always be my baby. As a Mom, one of the first things I do in the morning and one of the last things I do at night is pray for my children. It is so important for me to see them grow and go into this world as positive productive members of society and Shae is definitely that. She has such a passion for the Arts, Education, and people. And God has blessed her to be able to utilize that passion daily via City At Peace in DC and in her church. God has also given her a wonderful circle of loving friends and I am grateful for each one of them as well. I am so proud of her and thankful that God allowed me, ME to be the steward over this marvelous human being. Thank you Lord! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAE SHAE!!!!

GOD PLACED UPON MY HEART TO START A LOVE THY NEIGHBOR PROJECT

We all know the Great Commission:

1) Love the Lord with ALL OUR HEARTS... and
2) Love thy neighbor

I have heard this tons of times. In VA my neighbors were very interactive. There were 50 homes on the street and we all knew each other, each other's children, we pretty much all knew where the "hidden" key was, it was kind of like a commune...ergo the root of 'community'. "The times they are a changin," as Dylan so eloquently put it. But today, as Pastor Mike spoke, I felt a desperate need to connect with my neighbors here in Garfield soooooo I am going to pray and put the spirit of hospitality that God has given me to work and I will let you know what He brings to me to do AND what the reaction/outcome turns out to be.

I love people and over the years I have walked the neighborhoods I have lived in (thank you Pastor Ahlemann for that teaching some 20 yrs ago) and prayed for my neighbors whether I knew them or not.  Though I was born and raised in the neighborhood where I care for my Mom right now, those I grew up with have either moved on or passed on and though I wave occasionally to my current neighbors, I don' know them and they don't know me. I desperately feel compelled to do more. Stay tuned....