More Than an Old Lady

 My neighbor is a remarkable person.  Miss Thelma still puts out a huge vegetable garden and beautiful flowers each year at age 93!

You'll see her all hours of the day working out rows of beans.  Not a weed in her garden.  Her corn grows like the Jolly Green Giant, potatoes, tomatoes, leap from the ground.  There's no doubt she's a master gardener.

One day it was 90 degrees and I noticed Miss Thelma hoeing the garden.  I stopped to check on her (but didn't tell her that).

"Miss Thelma, you're going to have a heat stroke working in this hot weather," I said.  

"I may do it," she said with a smile. "I just hope if I pass out, someone won't think this old lady is taking a nap and pass by.  At least I'm wearing a cap."

I chatted with her awhile.  She told me that she mowed her lawn that morning, and this afternoon worked in her garden.

Her red pickup was parked close to the garden.  It had a power saw and some tree limbs on the back.  Evidently she had trimmed some bushes either that day or another time.

I didn't criticize Miss Thelma for working.  I figured it would be better to go on if you were still living an active life.

"You are an inspiration to our neighborhood, Miss Thelma.  I hope if I live to your age, I can be as fit as you are."

She grinned and said she hoped to be able to garden for a long time.  But everybody has to die sometime she added.

Finally, Miss Thelma is a strong person and a woman of faith.  She's a mother figure and shares the fruit of her labor with others.  Her vegetables are delicious and not like store-bought food.  Maybe it's the love she puts into her garden that makes the difference.  Our community is blessed that she lives here.

Father's Day

 

Daddy and me when I was about 10 years old.  He was my best friend growing up in the mountains.

Fathers are special.  They make a profound influence on the lives of children.

I was blessed to have a wonderful daddy.  He worked hard to provide for our family.

Daddy was a bi-vocational minister.  He pastored churches (never received a salary) and worked on construction jobs operating cranes and bulldozers for 50 cents an hour.

He instilled faith and the value of hard work in the lives of  my siblings and me.  Unfortunately, some people don't have that work ethic today.

Daddy also valued education.  He didn't have an opportunity to get a college education because he worked as a teenager to help support his parents and siblings.  Daddy was self-educated and loved to read especially the Bible.

Although Daddy couldn't afford it, he bought a set of "World Book Encyclopedias" for our family.  He encouraged us to look up information and to enrich our lives.

"Get a good education," he said.  "That's something no one can ever take away from you."

My siblings and I were fortunate to attend college.  Daddy sacrificed to help with our education.  My sister was the first one in our family to get a graduate degree.  My brother was a 30-year law enforcement officer, and I'm a retired educator.  We owe it to Daddy.

When Daddy had an opportunity to take seminary extension classes at the Dr. George W. Truett Baptist Association, he furthered his education.  After working late each day on the construction job, he took classes at night.  I know he was exhausted, but determined to learn all he could.

He wrote research papers and made an A on all his work.  He was intelligent and  had an amazing memory.  Daddy memorized many books of the Bible, never used any notes when he delivered sermons.

Daddy instilled within me the values of hard work and knowledge.  Most of all, he showed by example a life filled with faith and love!

I wish all my blogger friends a very happy Father's Day1

Indian Paintbrush Legend

 According to legend, a Cherokee Indian artist tried to paint a wildflower but couldn't get the colors right.  He asked the Great Spirit to help.

He sent down paintbrushes to the Cherokee.  The artist painted a colorful flower that blazed like fire.

The Cherokee artist tossed the brushes into the woods.  Indian Paintbrush wildflowers popped up across the Appalachian Mountains.

This is the legend how these beautiful wildflowers came to our mountains.

The Appalachian Mountains have 2,500 different wildflowers.  What kind of wildflowers do you have in your part of the country?