Nostalgia Pink

Tonight, on #smmanners (Social Media Manners-Twitter), we had an open-mic night. Somehow, we got to talking about things that used to be: Howdy-Doody, so I mentioned Clarabelle; Mr. Green Jeans, so I mentioned Captain Kangaroo, and so on and so on. We chatted about vinyl records, the over 300 33-rpms that I have in my shop. I have some original Elvis, and the Beatles. Remember "Hang on Sloopy"?

There are lots of Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Billy Joe Royal, etc. There are a lot of religious recordings. Tennessee Ernie Ford was one of my favorite as a child. Ray must have belonged to the Columbia Record Club too. Some are doubles.

There are a lot of memories on those records. We have a new turntable and have tried a few. They sound pretty good. Ray and I had a DJ Business for about 15 years. We belonged to Parents Without Partners and one Friday night, the Juke Box broke. I went home and to my LPs and my stereo. We had our dance anyway. The next week, Ray brought his stereo, so we had two, not so much lag time between music.

I remember that my son, Jeff came to visit. He gave me a CD of Fleetwood Mac that I could play in the car, but then Ray bought a CD player so we could play our 1 CD. The next thing he bought was another CD player that you could program and play 3 CDs randomly. Then there were speakers, and then a microphone to make announcements. Ray found Karoke CDs and the next thing you know, he was singing Frank Sinatra songs and the ladies were swooning.

Actually, Country and Western music was really popular then and everyone was learning line dancing. I ended up teaching line-dancing, because I could dance but couldn't carry a tune.

Our chat tonight brought up some really wonderful memories. Just thinking about a song, brings up lots of good and bad memories. "I Want to Know What Love Is" after a bad break-up, There were so many break-up songs, you wondered if song writers' ever wrote happy songs. Then "Don't Worry, Be Happy" came out.

Billy Ray Cyrus was on TV the other day. He sure has held up well. We were all doing the "Electric Slide" until he came out with "Achy Breaky Heart". That was a difficult one to learn because it had so many steps before a repeat. But, once we caught on, we learned to do it to so many songs. I have a book full of line dances somewhere around here.


Our next door neighbor used to be a DJ at NASA dances at Langley. He sold us a lot of the equipment and he and his wife used to accompany us when we played parties and weddings. When we played PWP every Friday Night, they had a regular table. I had a large stuffed male doll that had on a Tux that I used to dance with when there were not any single men left to dance with. Since Ray DJed most of the time, it left me a lot of time to line dance. I remember DJing for about 6 weeks by myself. Ray was in the hospital with Guillian-Barre Syndrome and I don't think I have ever been so frightened. We really thought he was going to die. I actually tell about the miracle of his healing in my blog Thoughts of Christ: Guillian-Barre Syndrome Miracle 

Well, I better go to bed. I took a Vicodin because of my Carpal Tunnel and RA, and Golden Girls is almost over. Thanks for letting me go down memory lane.

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

Boston Pink

We pray every day for those who are ill, homeless, out of work, etc. Now we are praying for those who were maimed and killed in Boston at the Marathon. Satan never gives us a break. There are people who say that why would God do this. God didn't do this, Satan was in the person who did this horrible thing. I am praying for the families of those murdered and those who were maimed. I have no idea who could have done this heinous act, but I would be willing to bet that it comes from Al Keida.

I don't understand this and I am sure there are those out there who do not understand it either. The world seems to be turning into an even more scary place. People are sending poison in the mail, there is an insane leader trying to scare our country into  his beliefs by threatening a nuclear missile. Who are all these stupid/insane people? I almost feel like we are on a merry-go round and there are nuts taking pot-shots at us all. No wonder I do not like going out into large venues.

When I was young, I remember being frightened because the Russians were threatening to bury us. Everyone was building bomb shelters, storing food, and just generally scaring the devil out of everyone. It is so awful that we cannot even go out and run in a marathon now and feel safe.

The world has forgotten how to be kind. Everyone is out for themselves and they do not have empathy for others. I have my opinion of why things are going this way. We have barred God from our schools and almost everything that happens in this life. Have you heard this quote?

     I would rather live my life as if there was a God and die to find there isn't, than to live my life like there was no God and die to find there is. Albert Camus

T

I will write more tomorrow. My sadness over the happenings in Boston is almost overwhelming. I have retweeted a couple of people who are talking about it on Twitter, but just haven't been able to express myself. I hate it so that we are so mean to each other.

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

  ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!       

Five Years to Pink

This is a follow-up to my blog "Thoughts of Christ" Miracle at Zoe which you might want to read first to bring you up to speed.

On Sunday, March 24, my Ray and I went to Calvary Revival Church Peninsula (Zoe) CRCP. Never complain about a one-hour church service. We got there at 10:30 a.m. and they had already started, and got home around 4 p.m., but it was not a hardship at all. The Holy Spirit filled that church for sure. We sat with the Reverends' Ray and Nakia Johnson. It was a wonderful service.

There was lots of heart-felt singing, praising God, prayer, and preaching. People were singing, crying, and laughing. It was one of the most exciting days in my life. And, I was asked to speak to the Fifth Anniversary since I was there in the beginning. Each person there has my heart and I love them all so much.

This was not really the Fifth Anniversary for me, it was more like the tenth, because if you read the Miracle at Zoe story on Thoughts of Christ, you know that it was 10 years ago that the Holy Spirit spoke to me about giving the church to the people of Zoe Community Church. This past Sunday, Reverend Ray Johnson, Sr., told us that the morning that Walter Satchell, Sam Moore, and I came down to give them the gift of the church, there was a prayer circle in the basement under the Sanctuary praying for just that. It was all so overwhelming for everyone that day that he forgot to mention it.

I think they had planned to give me an award or something, but I told Reverend Ray that I didn't need anything. Just being there was one of the best gifts I will ever receive. The church has been cleaned, painted, and has a new heat and air system. They are working on raising the money to finish paying for the system. The church is on the Historical Registry. The beautiful wood floors shook with joy. I have never been to a service quite like it. I really felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. I really didn't know what I was going to say, but it went very well.

Reverend Ray had everyone who had a baby since the church was given to them, everyone who was saved from drugs and alcohol, every family that got married there in the past five years. Then he said I would have a ruby for everyone standing as adornment of my crown in Heaven. But it is not just my crown, but every member of First Baptist Church of Newport News who deserves the credit. They had to jump on the bandwagon and it took 5 years, but it was in God's time. There were many who said that they had thought it for years, but Dr. Everett made me say the words. To God be the Glory.

Reverend Ray Johnson has also started another congregation in Hampton and the Bishop has indicated that he will be appointed as a church planter and move up in the hierachy of the denomination. It is so wonderful how God is working in our lives.

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

SPAM BULLIES PINK

SPAM BULLIES

I have belonged to Social Media Girlfriends (#SMGirlfriends on Twitter) ever since its inception. I enjoy it so much. Dabney Porte, the charming woman who started it is absolutely wonderful. She is intelligent, beautiful, mindful, and one of the best Social Media Coaches around. She has helped us all through some sticky situations. She does Social Media Manners (SMManners) on Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. EST and knows more about Internet etiquette than anyone I know. Dabney has built a wonderful following of some of the most caring, fabulous women on Twitter.

Dabney and friends

Over the past months, our Social Media Girlfriends (#smgirlfriends) community of global brilliance has been under attack.  These attacks have targeted Dabney directly, and our community as a whole via both documented/reported defaming and slanderous phone calls ( I received such a call from the lead bully in attempts to defame Dabney) and a full out bot/spam account within our #SmGirlfriends community on Twitter. 

We all know that those who hate others are typically women or men who lack self esteem and do not feel worthy of their own success.  I see it via these attacks and others on social media each day.  In this case however, it seems the behavior is led by the very person who called me and it is my opinion that she is emotionally unwell and very unstable. She is taking our ideas and claiming them as hers. It really hurts my heart, because I really thought a lot of her before she did all this. She really disappointed me. 

As a community it is our goal to empower women.  To inspire and lift each of us up so we can continue to spread true friendship and women empowerment.  To do this, we must together protect our nest on Twitter and each other. 

The following are copies of the spams sent into our #SmGirlfriends nest on Twitter. Each tweet is sent by a bot account. They use different names but the tweets are the same. I recognized them, because they were my mostly my tweets originally.

• SMgirlfriends "Remember this  December, that love weighs more than gold!" ~Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon #SMgirlfriends
• smgirlfriends TL2U *Good friends are like four-leaf-clovers, lucky to have and hard to find. #smgirlfriends#TL2U
• SMgirlfriends “Most important in a friendship? Tolerance and loyalty.” J.K. Rowling #SMgirlfriends
• smgirlfriends Thanks for bringing your global brilliance to our #smgirlfriends community! We love you all 
• smgirlfriends Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow ~ Melody Beattie #smgirlfriends
• SMgirlfriends “Friendship is a word, the very sight of which in print makes the heart warm” Augustine Birrell #SMgirlfriends 
• TL2U SMGirlfriends *I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow #TL2U#SMGirlfriends
• smgirlfriends "To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract things every day." Lao Tzu #smgirlfriend 
• SMgirlfriends "Laughter is the shortest distance between two friends." -Victor Borge #SMgirlfriends
• smgirlfriends Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel. ~Author Unknown Happy Thanksgiving #smgirlfriends
• SMgirlfriends “Friendship is a word, the very sight of which in print makes the heart warm” - Augustine Birrell #SMgirlfriends

This is an example of the type of behavior observed over the last six months and is clearly seen as attempts to dilute our community conversations as the pace picks up during key community events.   I consider it SPAM BULLYING, Don't you? I report and block each one, even though it takes time. I just hope that the spammers will get tired of creating names or tired of paying some people in a 3rd World Country that cannot spell to create Twitter accounts to keep doing this. 

How can YOU help to protect GLOBAL BRILLIANCE? 

First of all, if you are asked to get on a call with someone from Twitter  be sure you know who this person is.  If you take a call that is clearly one like I received, stand your ground.  Ask questions.  This particular bully and her cheer squad have no evidence to back the claims they make against Dabney, our community, and many of us.  I did this and do you know what happened? SHE hung up on me.  I simply told "her" that I have known/worked with Dabney for years, and she was completely out of line and character to tell me the things she did.  She even told me I was not a Christian if I spoke to or followed Dabney.  You see, the BULLY goes after what you love the most.  I love GOD, so she threatened me with this. 

I don't think I would have been allowed to be ordained if there weren't sufficient evidence that shows my loving and caring heart. 

If you receive such a call that is slanderous or defaming to Dabney or her community, let Dabney know immediately. Both her legal team and Twitter are watching closely and investigations are under way.  The best way to stop a BULLY is to question and report to the proper authorities. 

If you see an account that has only a few tweets or followers with lousy spelling, you probably have found profanity or even some weird pictures. The names more often than not, are strange too. Women's names with men's pictures and vice versa. Hit the BLOCK/REPORT button

If you see a tweet in our #SmGirlfriends stream that starts with smgirlfriends, it is likely a bot spam account, as they appear to be using an automated RT system of our hashtag tweets while removing the RT. BLOCK/REPORT 

I am a Professional Encourager and at all times try to focus on the good in life and business.  However, this harassment must end.  I think what tipped the tide was, those sending spam via created fake bot accounts have used a squished picture of me in many profile pictures.  They have also used our community trademarked logo, Dabney's profile information, guns to scare us in logo pictures and much, much more. Last week there was even a lewd picture. If you are with us on #smgirlfriends, please be careful not to even follow the spammers or any member of their team. I will be unfollowing people who are following the SpamBully this week. 

I have prayed about this and I think this is the only way to go. This person has not asked for forgiveness and is only motivated by revenge. Evidently, the only way they think they can build their business is to tear down our community. BULLY, we are not afraid of you!

"If there is a choice, choose kindness" is one of my favorite sayings. I think in this case, the kind thing would be to ignore this person and her community. There does come a time when you have to take a stand. Even Jesus got angry. She continually defames Dabney and she won't listen to reason. For some unknown reason, she has even purchased over 10,000 bot followers for #smgirlfriends. Why would anyone but someone that is purely evil do such a ghastly thing. I have seen this myself and documented many things over the past months. I am ready to go to court, if necessary, to make sure this person goes to jail or at least pays a whopping fine. 

SMGirlfriends has helped me more than any of you know. You were there for me when I have been ill and always praying for me. I love you all and I am so sorry that one of our own has turned against us for no concrete reason other than jealousy. Twitter has millions of people and there are so many who need a group. We need to share, not harass. Besides deleting the bots is hurting my arm. The RA is bad enough, now I have carpel tunnel syndrome. My husband says we should track them down, hit with the evidence, and sue. Actually, what they are doing is stalking. There are laws against that.

Got to go for now. Leave comments if you like. I would love to hear from you.

You have my sincere apologies for this. I had inserting anything bad in your day. Sometimes you just have to take a stand. Love to ALL!

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

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BTW - Friday is #Slumberparty on Twitter at 11 p.m. EST

I am your gracious hostess. 

Pain in Pink

I know everyone is wondering what happened to me, since I haven't been on Twitter and Facebook much lately. I am having a Rheumatoid Arthritis "Flare-up".

My feet are swollen and hurt badly. My arms and hands are the worst parts, although my neck comes in a close second. It is difficult to type and use the mouse.

Wikipedia explains Rheumatoid Arthritis:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks flexible (synovial) joints. It can be a disabling and painful condition, which can lead to substantial loss of functioning and mobility if not adequately treated.

The process involves an inflammatory response of the capsule around the joints (synovium) secondary to swelling (hyperplasia) of synovial cells, excess synovial fluid, and the development of fibrous tissue (pannus) in the synovium. The pathology of the disease process often leads to the destruction of articular cartilage and ankylosis (fusion) of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can also produce diffuse inflammation in the lungs, membrane around the heart (pericardium), the membranes of the lung (pleura), and white of the eye (sclera), and also nodular lesions, most common insubcutaneous tissue. Although the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, autoimmunity plays a pivotal role in both its chronicity and progression, and RA is considered a systemic autoimmune disease. It is a clinical diagnosis made on the basis of symptoms, physical exam, radiographs (X-rays) and labs.^[1]"

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a auto-immune disease. Although Arthritis is mentioned, it is not a real factor, unless you also have Osteoarthritis, as I do. You can look up on Wikipedia; it goes into much more detail. So, don't ever dismiss someone when they tell you they have RA, with the phrase "Oh, yeah! I have trouble with arthritis in my knees." RA is so much worse than arthritis. It can be extremely painful. It was discovered in 2009 after I had pneumonia in North Carolina. I was in the hospital in New Bern for 10 days in August. Everyone you can imagine was trying to find out what was wrong. I had every x-ray you could possibly think of. All they could come up with was pneumonia. They had me on morphine because the pain was so bad and oxygen because if I hurt, I would forget to breathe. 

There was a group of traveling doctors that spent their time going to different hospitals and working for a month or so, then moving on to another hospital. They were some of the best in their fields in NC. I saw heart, internal medicine, infectious disease doctors, and a neurologist. I didn't feel like I had pneumonia, but that was probably due to the generous doses of morphine.

My daughter, Rhonda would spend the night with me. She was a teacher-assistant and they were on Summer break. I slept a lot. After they determined I wasn't dying, my mother left to go home to Kentucky. When I finally got out of the hospital, Ray took me to our little house in NC for the night. Then we got up the next morning and came back to Virginia. I was so glad to drive over that State line. That was on Sunday. On Monday, I went to get my blood checked at the Cancer Center. Dr. Schlesinger had been the intermediary with the hospital in NC and with Riverside Regional. She wanted to see me and insisted I have another chest x-ray. Well, guess what, I still had pneumonia and I was put in Riverside for the next 9 days. The doctor had her nurse go back through my records and see if there was anything that might be causing this. He went through everything and then he was going through test results and he came to the BRACA test for breast cancer. I didn't test positive for breast cancer, but evidently I had two markers for Rheumatoid Arthritis. They had found the cause of a lot of my pain. 

When I was over the pneumonia and sent home, they sent me to Dr. Wilson, one of the few RA doctors in this area. He put me on Enbrel, which is a biologic and comes in a shot. I give myself a shot every week in my belly. Oh, don't worry, I have had a tummy tuck and have no nerves that work there. Doesn't hurt at all. I also take methotrexate and prednisone. I have pain pills that I try not to use, but sometimes when I start to hurt, it is better to take something and head the pain off at the pass. I cannot take over-the-counter medicine for pain because it might take so many that it could cause liver failure.

So, right now, I am going through a flareup in my RA. This too shall pass. I am on a few prayer lists. I know it is driving Ray crazy because I cannot drive. I simply cannot take pain medication and drive. The few places I have gone lately, he has taken me. 

I contacted the doctor on Wednesday and he put me on a prednisone pack, and I am better already. The only thing about the prednisone is that it helps add weight to my thighs.

So, if you have a friend or relative that has RA, don't feel sorry for them, but ask if there is anything you can do to help. A dear friend brought a quiche for our dinner for Valentines Day! I still was not feeling well enough to go out.

For more information about Rheumatoid Arthritis click here.

GOD IS GOOD - ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME - GOD IS GOOD!

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Read my other blog The Professional Encourager - Spam Bullies  

Mitzee PINK

The groundhog saw his shadow and that is supposed to mean that Spring is on it's way. That is a wonderful idea to me.

My little puppy, Mitzi came to live with us the first week in January. She is a ShitzuPoo and is incredibly cute. Even though she kept me awake a lot last night, she occasionally uses the puppy paper, and loves to bite on my hands, she (Mitzee) has captured our hearts. She is not quite 5 months old.

We also have a Maltepoo, Snowball. We got him last June. He is about 5 years old and a little set in his ways. Mitzee chases him around while he growls. It has taken a month, but he is becoming tolerant of her.

This morning she actually did both of her businesses on the paper. I am so proud. She didn't wake me up once last night.

Ray is so good with them both. He is as patient with them as he is with me. He never has a bad word for anyone.

Ray with Mitzee and Snowball

GOD IS GOOD - ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME - GOD IS GOOD!

By the way, if you like this blog,  

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