END OF YEAR PINK?

Check out this site: Modlandusa Article: Are You a Twitter Snob?
This is my response:

"Good article to a point. There are also those of us who don't have an agenda. I tweet because I love to. I have been on Twitter since March 2009 and my friends have seen me through a lot of illness and were always there praying for me, giving hope when I felt hopeless. I am not selling anything other than encouragement, joy, and God, not necessarily in that order.

I use Tweepi to delete people who are essentially gone from Twitter. I follow anyone who is clothed and doesn't use profanity. Personally, I prefer to see people on my TweetDeck who are dressed and swearing is offensive. I am eternally searching for those who need friends. I have spoken on the phone with people in the middle of the night when they are troubled. I like to think I have helped in some way."

Dear Friend, I hope you know that I am not a Twitter Snob. I follow everyone. I really don't care how many followers you have. If you are a reasonably nice person who is intelligent enough to converse without profanity, I want you on my timeline. It is that simple. 

Tweepi.com is a great way to delete people who don't think enough of others to follow them back, or people who are only trying out Twitter and haven't tweeted in months (or years). I will be using Tweepi over the next few days to clean up my timeline. 

This is the end of 2011 and I am glad to see it go. It has been a year of innumerable tragedies. There have been so many natural disasters, it breaks my heart to even think about. There have been so many political careers that have been destroyed by their own stupidity, and so many celebrities who use their celebrity to act totally idiotic.

There have been incredible people who have helped others and done more good in the world in one year than most people do in their lifetime.

We have lost a lot of good people to death and a lot of really bad people too. Sometimes it makes you stop and consider your own mortality. Are you ready to meet your maker? I know that I am, do you? As a Christian, I am taught that there is only one way to Heaven, through Jesus Christ. This is what I truly believe. 

"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"

This makes a lot of sense if you really think about it. What have you got to lose? Okay, I will quit preaching. 

I love you all and pray for you collectively every day. You have become an extended family and your life really means something to me. You don't need to be a Christian to follow me, I don't discriminate, I love you all. 

Have a Happy New Year and may you be prosperous and joyful.

Tweet Love To You  (#TL2U)

Barbara

Santa Claus PINK

Holiday Romance in the Keys ~ The Diva Gets Engaged!

This is the big story, my dear friend, Dabney Porte got engaged to Vic Maranto (@DabneyPorte & @VicMaranto on Twitter).
As we vacationed in the Keys at the beautiful Hawks Cay resort, my family and I were surrounded by all things fabulous! This resort is simply amazing. Even more amazing and romantic is . . . . (click on link above)
Vic still had on his Santa Hat. Such a cute couple. I pray for the very best for them and their family.

Home Again
We are back home in Virginia. I had a lovely week in North Carolina. The weather was mild and it didn't feel like Christmas until I woke up one morning with frost on the windshield. There were so many decorations to put up. Garrett and Taylor counted over 100 Santa Claus' in the great room. There was so much red. I had chosen a lovely red shiny paper to wrap with. I usually use the same paper for everything. I wrapped a lot of presents and still had a little left over. Last year I used red and white pinstripe and I had some of that left to mix with the current paper. It made some beautiful LARGE candy looking pieces for those round or odd shaped gifts. I used most of my boxes on my daughter's presents and ran out myself. I will definitely purchase more boxes next year.

Ray took me down and went back to VA on Sunday. I stayed by myself most of the time. The grands did spend the night on Tuesday. They are afraid to stay there because there is no telephone. Our cells seldom work there. I had a phone installed on Thursday before Christmas with Internet and Ray came that night. I first asked for phone and the girl said "$23.95." So I asked about Internet, she said. "$39.95." I said I didn't want to pay that much since we are not there but 2 or 3 days a month. Then she said, "If you get the Internet, the phone is free!"  I said, "Sign us up!" It took a week to get it installed and I had to become a computer expert again to get the Internet working with my computer. Everywhere you go, things are different.

So, now I guess I will stop telling everyone I am going to Verizon Wireless Purgatory when we go to our NC Get-Away. Although, having a land-line doesn't make the cell phone work. We have a dish from my daughter's so we do have TV most of the time.

I certainly missed my friends on Twitter and Facebook, mostly the Twitter friends. I still haven't been on Google Plus enough to get used to it and LinkedIn is too professional for me. I am behind on my blog posting for Triberr, but will catch up today. Twitter seems so much more "in time" for me. I guess because I don't chat on other venues.

I wish I had pictures of the week in NC, but I don't right now. My daughter will be sending me some, I hope.

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

Holidays Pink

The Singing Christmas Tree at our church went very well. Pastor Seley said they estimated at least 1500 people showed up over the 3 days. It was a lot of fun with cookies, hot cider, hot chocolate, and lots of singing. Joyeaux Noel!

I bought myself this little Clap Camera on Amazon. It is so small, it looks like a usb thumb drive. It didn't come with the Micro SD Card that it needs, so I haven't been able to take any pictures yet.

Photo and Movie Feature, 2 MP

Utilizes Micro SD Card up to 16GB (Not included) (I evidently didn't notice this)

Plugs directly into your USB

For Windows and Mac, No Driver needed

1280 x 1024 Resolution, Fine Glass Lens

I cannot wait to get the card to put in it.

I hope that everyone is doing well. I have been going to physical therapy for about 5 weeks now. They are wearing me out. For some reason I am more nervous lately and my regular doctor has upped my nerve medicine. I took two a day for the past week and I have been having a problem driving, so I think I am going back to one a day. I ran a red light at least into the middle of the street. My car has very good brakes. And, the people with the green light did too. Later that day, I almost side-swiped someone. When I went to my therapist yesterday, I had to be extra careful. I have only taken one today and my head feels clearer already. I think being depressed is better than having a wreck.

I am going down to stay in NC over Christmas. Ray is taking me down to our house tomorrow and coming back to finish up his work before Christmas. It will give me some time to get caught up with my present wrapping, cleaning, shopping, etc. My daughter lives about a mile away and I can use her car or go shopping with her. I don't know my way around there well enough to go very far by myself.

I have a very poor connection when I am down there since we don't have a land line. If I go to my daughter's with the laptop, it is ok, but they don't understand my being on the computer a lot. Most people don't. The reason I am saying this is that I probably won't be on line much for the 10 days I plan to be gone. It might be good for me. I have become a couch potato with laptop attached. I really like tweeting. I like Facebook alright, and Google+ is just okay. I guess I should try it more, but I just cannot see the point yet. I am sure the kinks are being worked on.

I have joined Triberr. It helps to get your blog out to more people and I do have a bigger following and more people reading the blog since I started. If anyone who has a blog would like an invite, let me know. I am starting my own tribe. Also, you can join 10 tribes, a different account for each and get lots sent out. I am still working it out. Nothing is automatic. Just about the time I got if figured out, they had to take out the automatic feature at Twitter's request.

If for some reason, I don't get back on here before Christmas, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.
Just remember: Jesus is the Reason for the Season

God is Good, All the Time; All the Time, God is Good!

Singing Christmas Tree Pink

First Baptist Church of Newport News will have the "Singing Christmas" Tree starting on Friday night this week and will continue through Sunday night Dec 9-11, 2011. It will be outside in front of the church where the great big tree is. Reverend Dennis Adams  will be leading the singing with the various choirs and groups at First Baptist. The public is invited to attend. I have it on good authority that there will be hot apple cider and cookies. The time is 7:00 p.m. Bring friends for fun and fellowship. 

As Virginia's #1 Tweet, I hope to see you there. Please come up and say HELLO!

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

Sunday Rest Pink

Me and Ray

I am blogging, Ray is watching the Redskins play the Jets and reading the paper. He keeps reading to me about the sales. Why is the only time he really wants to talk when I am blogging.

We went to church this morning and I was the Lead Usher for the first service. Sandra took over so I could leave before the second service. I wasn't feeling too well. I may be a little depressed. I have been the Lead Usher for 5 or 6 years and now all of a sudden, I was asked to resign so someone else could do it for a while. I really didn't want to, but you just don't argue with God. There must be something that He has in the plan for me that will take away the hurt that I have felt because of this. I said a couple of times that if someone else would step up, I might be persuaded to give it up. Well, I guess the nominating committee found someone to do it. They never called and asked me if I wanted to stay on and help out. But, then I guess it will be easier for that person taking over, to do so without me in the wings.

Garrett and Taylor

I used to walk around the sanctuary to greet and hug people before the service. I know some of the elderly probably don't get a hug all week. So, I guess that is what I will do for a while. Meanwhile, I am going to take a couple of weeks and go to North Carolina and stay, so I can enjoy my grandchildren. I know my Sunday Bible Class will be glad to see me again.

Mother, Pat, Cindy, Jeremy

I still need some help in my house. I went into the upstairs in the shop yesterday and brought some Christmas Items out, but I am not going to do a lot. (Just enough to make me feel like Christmas is coming!) I just love Christmas. I love giving gifts much more than I do receiving them. I try really hard to get something that I think the person really wants and will not re-gift. My mother-in-law from my first husband is the original re-gifter. I always like to give her something that is personal, like a book. I even inscribe it. I still give her something, even though her son has been gone about 7 years and I haven't been married to him in almost 25 years. I always told her that I didn't divorce her, just him.  She is a real sweetie and I love her dearly.

Mother and Taylor

Karch, Jason, Heather, Tabitha

Speaking of mothers, my mother, Bertha, was doing well when I saw her at Thanksgiving. We were all at my brother's and it was so very nice there. Everyone had plenty of room and the children had a ball in the Movie/Play Room downstairs. They guys even enjoyed the play room, since part of it had a pool table. Most of the ladies took turns putting together a jigsaw puzzle. We didn't get finished but it was on the game table in the basement, so it may be there to finish when we go back. (I hope).

Jesse and Bryan in kitchen

I have been having fun on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, and Google+. I just love all the wonderful people in my streams. Only occasionally, do I come upon someone who makes me pause. If someone is not nice, uses profanity, or is undressed in their Avatar, they are gone from my stream. I have a low tolerance for fools. LOL! I try to follow all who follow me, Sometimes Twitter hiccups and won't let me follow any more until I un-follow some, so I use Tweepi.com to see who has not tweeted in the past couple of months, and un-follow them. That way, I can follow people who will actually engage.

It is an absolutely beautiful day here, I hope that you are having the same. Just remember, God is Good, All the Time!

JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!

Home Again PINK

Jason, Cindy, & Jeremy

We went to Kentucky for the week of Thanksgiving and had an absolutely wonderful time. We stayed at my brothers' home in Nicholasville. My mother let us use her suite and slept across the hall. It was nice to have a room with a sitting area. I was able to set up my computer, but we kept so busy that I didn't have much time to use it.

Cindy and Heather

Riding for 10 hours in our car did not make for a fun time for my legs. They were almost numb by the time we got there. Our room was upstairs and I practically had to pull myself up the stairs using the hand rail. There were 17 stairs since the ground floor has 12 ft ceilings. There were about 15 stairs to the basement where the movie room and pool room are located. It was up and down stairs the whole time. And, guess what, by the time we left, I could actually climb the stairs without pulling myself up and I was using alternate feet, instead of pull up and drag. I am feeling better than in months. I did take more pain medication but I was able to do therapy yesterday without much trouble. I only got dizzy afterward. I haven't had any ill effects with the rheumatoid arthritis. That is sure a blessing.

Wyatt, Owen, & Karch

W

Everyone was so nice and made sure that I didn't do too much. We went downtown to my nephews and walked to Chipotle, a new fast food place from McDonald's. The food was very good, although the atmosphere was nil. My daughter, her husband, and the twins were also there. They really enjoyed everything. They watched all kinds of movies downstairs and played with their cousins. They got there a little later than everyone else because they did some sight-seeing on the way. They stayed at the Comfort Inn and really enjoyed it. There was a swimming pool, free WiFi, and a great breakfast included in the price of the room.

Garrett & Taylor

It is amazing that when we have stayed at the Hilton, Hyatt, Doubletree, and other high-end hotels, they charge at least $10 for WiFi per night. You would think they would include it in the price of the room, considering the cost of the rooms. Even a bottle of water costs $3. We always take our own food for snacks. We are not cheap, but we certainly aren't stupid either.

Jesse & Rhonda

Anyway, my brother had Thanksgiving catered, with servers. It was one of my best Thanksgivings ever. The ladies got to enjoy the children, watch the parade and football, movies, and we put a puzzle together at the game table in the movie room.

The Movie Room

There was my brother, his wife, 2 sons, daughter-in-law, 2 children; my mother; me and my husband, daughter, son-in-law, 2 children; my sister, her daughter, son-in-law and 2 children; friend of my brothers', his wife, and two daughters. Twenty-four for dinner. The caterer was a local company that serves homemade type food and we couldn't have had better if we had cooked it ourselves.

Bertha (my mother)

Saturday, we took my mom to her house and Ray and I went shopping. Didn't buy much, but it was nice to get out and walk some. We picked up mother and met my brother, his wife, and a son at Malone's. Malone's is a great restaurant in Lexington. They evidently eat there a lot. I really loved the food and the wait staff were superb.

Sunday morning we got up and packed and left Lexington about 8 a.m. It was raining, but by the time we reached Charleston WV, it had quit. Sonny had bought some pastries at Panera Bread Saturday night and we had them for breakfast. We stopped at Wendy's and I had an apple, craisens, chicken salad. It was great with blue cheese dressing.

My mother gave me loads of yarn to make lap blankets for hospice. Got to get busy with them. I have been making dish cloths to sell for the children's new playground at church. I hear that it is going to cost $30,000. That is a lot of yarn. LOL.

I hope you all are having a lovely season, just remember that Christmas is only about 25 days away. Take a look at my other blog for: (click to go to link)

A Familiar Poem for the Holidays! (Christmas)

Check it out. It circulates every year, usually on email, but I decided to give it a permanent home. 

Jesus is the reason for the season! 

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

Cate Masters: Emmy Swain in the Author Spotlight

Cate Masters: Emmy Swain in the Author Spotlight: Emmy Swain in the Author Spotlight

I read the book and was so pleasantly surprised at the wonderful message for children. It inspired me to buy the book for my Kindle account so my grandchildren can read it on the kindles they are getting for Christmas. I loved the book and can't wait for Book 2 to come out.

FALLING PINK #2

     I fell again yesterday. This is actually the third time I have fallen in 5 weeks. The first time I was going out to get into the car and fell into the rose bushes; I got thorns in my hand. The second time was about 2 weeks ago and it was in the back yard. My neighbors helped me up, since Ray was in the house watching the Redskins. I had to go to the doctor and he put me into physical therapy. Yesterday, I was getting ready to go get blood tests and fell over my big feet and into a bookcase. There was a small metal ornate candleholder on a lower shelf and it cut my right hand up pretty bad. My knees were bruised and I totally destroyed our metal basket hamper. It will never be the same.

      I was alone, so I had to pick myself up and take care of the cut on my hand and the abrasions on my forearm. It was bleeding so I washed it off and put on Neosporin and bandaged the entire hand to stop the bleeding. It was over an hour before Ray came home. I had called cancelling my appointment. He helped to change the bandage before we went to bed. This morning, there was blood coming through the bandage. Ray said I should go to the doctor. The nurse bandaged it again, then gave me a tetanus shot and since I was there, a pneumonia shot. She placed some bandages to use today and a sulfa cream in a bag for me to put on the cut. Also, the doctor wrote a note not to go to physical therapy until Monday. Good thing, a nap is what is needed.  

      A professional organizer is definitely needed around here and a garage sale. I should try Craig's List, I guess. I will have to take a look and see what I can do. Anybody know someone who has a Hoarders Reality Show. We are prime candidates. Help before I fall and can't get up. LOL

      I called my friend Cindy and she is coming by tomorrow. Ray will be in Richmond at the Alpha Parliamentary Unit for a meeting and a teaching session. I thought it would be nice to have some company, she hasn’t been here in a while.  Everyone else is so busy.

      There is a yard sale down the street. If it is not too cold, I may walk down there. Tonight is #Slumberparty night at 11 p.m. First time I am able to just participate in a while. Last week I hosted and I think everyone had a good time. It was fun.

     My brother called this morning. He and his wife Pat are home from South Africa. He assured me that there were plenty of photos to see; there are at least 4K. He said he would have a video show set up in the movie room with plenty of colas and popcorn. They really do go on lots of vacations. Sounds like fun. He has worked so very hard to get where he is. I am so proud of him and proud he is my brother.
     Below is the Annie Moses Band. They were at the conference we went to Monday. They performed all three days and were totally awesome. Their music can make you smile and make you cry. Listen to this song, it is so beautiful. They are mostly Julliard trained musicians. 

BGAV and the BOOK PINK

Ray and I went to the Baptist General Association of Virginia Conference in Richmond Monday and were there until Wednesday. It was held at the Greater Richmond Conference Center. It was wonderful. We had dinner at the Marriott where were were staying on Monday night with the BGAV Board of Directors. Ray is one of their Parliamentarians. It was very nice, although it totally messed up our #SweetTweets Life Plan. There was the most delicious Chocolate Cake I have ever had. I couldn't resist. Just goes to show that the best laid plans can get kicked in the teeth by the nicest people.

Anyway, after eating chocolate cake, it was easy to eat every piece of chocolate we could lay our hands on through Wednesday. We are back on the diet plan today. It is so difficult to resist those carb loaded foods. But, nobody is perfect. I am going for my blood tests today and will see what my weight is. I prefer to make their scale the official scale for my diet. After losing 27 lbs, I hope my small lapse won't completely derail my plans. Ray has lost 37 lbs. We are both doing alright and I have no intention of eating any more chocolate in the near future.

The Rheumatoid Arthritis has been acting up lately. Sometimes, I think I take too much Vicadin. I try to limit myself to 1 or 2 a day but some days are just too difficult. I wish I cold take regular anti-inflamatories. The doctor thinks that if I took enough to do any good, I would have liver failure. My hands are really causing a lot of pain lately. The cold weather really doesn't agree with me at all. I want to do so many things. Sometimes I think I just don't have enough time, but I really do have lots of time. I think all the medications that I am taking keep me immobile. I just cannot seem to focus sometime.

I am working on a book of my experiences on Twitter. It has been so much fun. It will be about people that are my SuperStars. They are not "Celebrities". in the Entertainment sense of the word. They are my Celebrities. People who have inspired and cared for me over the past couple of years. People who have prayed and encouraged me. I love them all so much, I wanted to do something to spotlight them and show them my appreciation. So watch out for my book, it will be coming soon.

I was able to connect with old friends at the conference and Dr. White, my former pastor, was there. He is currently the Editor of the Religious Herald. Our friend, John Upton, was able to meet the Pope, see article:

"Two top leaders of the Baptist World Alliance brought “the fullness of what it means to be Baptist” to an interfaith summit of peace and justice, hosted Oct. 27 by Pope Benedict XVI and attended by about 300 world religious leaders. BWA general secretary Neville Callam and president John Upton joined other Christians as well as a wide range of other religious adherents in Assisi, Italy."

John Upton lead the BGAV Conference in Richmond. We actually made history by electing an African-American Pastor, Mark Croston." It was an amazing meeting. Click on the link for the full story.

Better go for now, got to get over to the Riverside Cancer Center for my blood tests. Love you all.

FALLING PINK

My younger sister, Cindy, (in the uniform) sent me some wonderful pictures of my nephews. I just wish I knew them both better. It seems that the older I get the more family oriented I am. Christopher is the real photographer. He has such a good eye. I hope that I get to see them on Thanksgiving, along with Cindy's daughter, Heather with her family. She has such beautiful babies. I haven't seen her daughter at all, but little Karch is a handful. 
           There is a picture of Cindy with her new grandaughter, Tabitha below.

Cindy and Tabitha

I fell Sunday afternoon in the back yard. I hurt both knees and shins, big bruise on my upper thigh, and hurt both hands trying to catch myself. Ray was in the house and couldn't hear me. Neighbors came and got him. They wanted to call 911, but when I discovered that I could actually stand, I said no. I did call and leave a message for my rheumatologist to let him know. I am supposed to let him know when I fall. I fell into the bushes last week when I was trying to get in the car and the neighbor across the street helped me up. I am thinking I need one of those buttons on a necklace. "Help, I have fallen and I can't get up."  LOL.

This disease is really making me feel old. Dr Cole says that I definitely have PTSD, too. My housekeeping lady has been taking care of her ex-husband who has Alzheimers and hasn't been here in months. I am beginning to feel like a hoarder. You might see me on Reality TV soon. I seem to save everything, thinking I may use it later. I used to move every couple of years but I have been in this house for 18 years and it has filled up gradually. There is room to walk around, but if this goes on much longer, we may have to close off a couple of rooms. I need some help, but I just don't know who to ask. I think I need to find a family to donate to. Maybe some who have lost their home in a fire or something. 

So, here I am this morning. Yesterday was kind of hazy. I had so much pain that I was on Vicadin most of the day and even took a nap, which is unusual for me. Feel somewhat better today. I have a Circle Meeting today. No, it is not about Google, it is a church meeting. They have been called Circle Meetings long before Google was thought of. We meet and support missions with gifts and prayer. We donate school supplies, donate to our benevelent fund, send letters to military, donate to the foodbank, etc. It is a lovely group of women who care about our community and the people in it. We pray for the un-churched that they may come to know Christ and join us in our efforts. 

By the way, I am making dishcloths and selling them for $4 each, plus shipping. I will be setting up a PayPal site later today. I donated 80 of these to our children's ministry to sell and use the money toward a new playground for the children. They are just the right size to use in the kitchen. Made from 100% cotton thread. They are also good for using as washcloths. Great exfoliators!

I am going to stop now, I have to go get dressed to go get my blood checked.

Lots of Love - 

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

Weekend PINK

I have been having a few bad days since I am still trying to cut down on the prednisone. I get so tired all the time. We had quilting today and I didn't get much done. I think I broke my sewing machine and now I have to take it to the shop. I want a new one. Anyway, most of what I did was cut squares. I am looking for a specific quilt pattern that I don't even know the name of. It is similar to the Cathedral Window Quilt, but more like a frame. I may see if I can find it online later. We have about 25 quilts almost ready to go. I brought 2 home with me to work on. I cannot decide whether to quilt them or tie them. I need to get one of my other sewing machines out and see if I can work on them.

Saturday, we will be in front of Harris-Teeter Grocery Store on Warwick Boulevard for Lions White Cane and Broom Sale. Ray and I are scheduled to work from 1-3 p.m. I sure hope I feel better than I do right now. Rheumatoid Arthritis bad enough, now I am swelling and my back aches. Rheumatologists don't do Osteoarthritis. Now I have to find another doctor to take care of that. Doing well, lost 23 lbs and 4 inches off my height. Guess I will end up being a little old lady after all.

We have been trying to do some yard work. I cannot do much. but I can cut branches off bushes. Ray does the heavy-lifting. Our neighbor put up a 6 ft. vinyl fence. A handyman was supposed to come last Saturday and take down our chain-link fence. He didn't show up, so I just cut branches myself. We had a nice day outside after we got back from VA beach. We went of the Lions District 24-D Fall Conference. It was good but we did not stay at the Cavalier Hotel. We just came home this year. We usually stay the weekend but there was no need because for the first time in 17 years, we were not on the Cabinet. It was nice to be able to leave and come home.

Sunday I drove back to Va Beach for training as a mentor for membership. It was really nice and I learned a lot about mentoring and membership. I can't wait to get started. There was a Lions International Vice President that held the training. He was originally from Germany, but is from Birmingham Al now. That was where I was born so we had something to talk about. He really didn't get to finish the training. They didn't allot him enough time. We have lots of books to read and then we are getting together to brainstorm. 

When I got home, Ray had brought a roasted chicken dinner for us both from church and I didn't have to cook. We could even eat the chicken and the green beans, just had to get rid of the rice. It was great. I took a nap and rested the most of the day. It sure was nice. 

I heard something about depression that stuck for some reason. Of course, it could be that I felt that maybe it could be about me. It was talking about when people become depressed, they don't feel like doing anything and sometimes feel immobile. Then their homes become a mess which makes the depression worse. I do know that I have got to find Catherine. I need someone who can clean my house. I do feel like everything is piling up. I used to clean all the time and loved to do it, but now, I just don't. I am seeing a therapist and he says that I just need to start small and get rid of stuff. My house is starting to look like one of those houses on the Hoarders. LOL. Well, maybe not that bad, but if I don't do something soon you might see me on one of those reality shows. LOL.

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME; ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD

Jamie Layton Cagle PINK

• Still praying for Jamie.
• Please join this group on Facebook, and invite your family and friends to join. We want as many people possible praying for Jamie and her family. 

 
• Jamie is 34 years old, she is the wife of Brandon, and mommy to two sweet girls, Erin (8) and Emily (4). Jamie was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of cancer called small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma in April of 2010. Jamie’s cancer was contained to the pelvic area and had not spread to other areas, she enjoyed a few months of remission, but found out recently that her cancer is back, and has spread to other areas. She has several spots in her liver, a spot in her lung, and in a lymph node in her chest. 
• 
  
• While Jamie's prognosis is poor, and her cancer is aggressive, we pray to a God who is bigger than any trials we may face, He is certainly bigger than this cancer. We are praying for a miracle, praying for complete healing, praying that in all things God is glorified, and His will be done! 
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• Jamie Lynn is the cousin of my sister Jan (below). I would appreciate it if you would pray for her. We know that all things are possible with Christ. He is the creator of the Universe  (in the beginning there was the Word); He can make a difference for Jamie, her family and for us all.
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 Click on title to go to Jamie's Facebook Page.

• GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME.

My friend Sandy Guerriere posted an update on her blog this morning concerning Michael Jackson and the devastating effects of Autoimmune Diseases. 




King of Pop 
Michael Jackson

1958 – 2009 
BY: Sandy Guerriere 

"Gone Too Soon"....that is one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs and now it has been appropriately sang for him.
I was affected deeply and shocked by Michael's sudden death and my heart goes out to his family, friends and fans all over the world. It came as a big surprise to many that Michael Jackson suffered from the autoimmune disease Lupus. But, it was in 1986 that Michael Jackson was diagnosed with Vitiligo and  . . . . . .


Sandy Guerriere has been suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis for over 12 years. She has some well-written articles on her blog about the different "conditions" caused by Autoimmune Disease:
 

 Rheumatoid Arthritis 

Vitiligo 

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus 

Polymyositis-Dermatomyositis

Systemic Sclerosis

Sjogren's Syndrome 

various forms of vasculitis

If you have any of these diseases or know someone who suffers from  them, you can only benefit from subscribing to Sandy's blog. Sandy suggests 'healing' foods and ways to combat some of these diseases in a 'natural' way. Sandy contacted me shortly after I found out about my Rheumatoid Arthritis and her blog has helped me immeasurably in dealing with the constant chronic pain. I don't care if you follow me, but please follow Sandy. She has such a grasp on this issue, that it could even help you to understand other medical problems and a healthy way to deal with them. She is much more knowledgeable than I am. 

I also have Osteo-Arthritis and I always assumed that Rheumatoid and Osteo-Arthritis were just Arthritis. I never considered there was a big difference. The one thing they do have in common is chronic pain. I have a strong feeling that we will be learning more about Autoimmune Diseases in the future. Our environment is crippling our bodies. 

Love to you all. 

God is Good, All the Time - All the Time, God is Good.

September Pink

There are so many wonderful things about September. Children are back in school, some moms are breathing a sigh of relief, the weather is changing for the good, I am dragging out the winter things and giving them a steaming or cleaning. Putting away the sandals and dragging out the boots. I am making arrangements of flowers and leaves, getting out the fake pumpkins, and some of the funny little Fall elves. Bringing is the tiny tomatoes before they turn red and the bugs eat them and cooking them with onions in olive oil. They really are good. I love fried green tomatoes, but cannot make them the Southern way, just the carb-free way.

September brings memories of September 11, 2011. What a terrible day for the US. Everyone has a story of where they were and who they were with. There was a lady on THE TALK today who was in one of the towers. Parts of her body weren't just burned, they were cooked and she is still living with the pain. I can only imagine how horrible it must have been. A friend at church had to hear that her granddaughter was in one of the planes that hit the Towers. I know it will be a particularly difficult day for her.

People that were there at the World Trade Center Towers and EMT's are coming down with cancer now, probably related to the many toxins they were exposed to the day of the terrorist attacks and for many days later. I hear that Al Qeida is planning something to celebrate the memory also. Probably to see how many Christians they can send to heaven. Although that is not where they think Christians go. They would commit suicide to take us out. All the time they think if they kill us they will get many virgins. That is a laugh. Not many of them around now.

Unfortunately, today wasn't a good one for my friend Benita. She had a horrific headache. I gave her pain medication, ice packs, warm wash cloths, etc. I made homemade chicken soup and finally got  some down her this afternoon. That and some peanut butter with crackers. I am afraid she is not getting enough liquid, but I cannot make her drink. I try to tell her that if she gets dehydrated, she will have to go in the hospital. Then she drinks a little bit. It is so hard to help people with Alzheimers. She may agree one minute and the next wonder where we are going as we walk out the door. Ray is very patient with us both.

I hope and pray that September 11th goes by without bad memories for the future. Stay safe and keep it low key. I would hate to have a bad memory of the this Sunday. It is the Lord's day and it should be quiet and safe for us all.

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!   ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

FRIEND PINK

Service is Power

My friend Benita is back with me today. Her daughter, Rebecca, is a teacher's assistant and teachers are back in class. Children start sometime next week. You may not know, but after a bad experience with a care giver, Benita stayed with me for 3 months until school was out. She has dementia (Alz). We have been friends for years and we used to have lunch on Sundays after church with our husbands. Unfortunately, that stopped in 2007. We couldn't figure out what was going on, but finally decided that since Norman retired, maybe they just wanted to spend time together. In November 2010, Norman had a heart attack and passed away while he was waiting in traffic for the light to change. It has been a difficult time for them, because Benita is not able to stay alone. I love her dearly. In fact, at one time, we were thinking about introducing Rebecca to my son Jeff. Anyway, here we are two friends supporting each other through hard times.

Ray and I started on the Induction Phase of Adkins Diet on Monday, August 8, 2011. Ray has diabetes and was afraid that they were going to increase his medication if he didn't get his blood sugar down. I had gained about 20 lbs because of the steroids that I am on and if I wanted to get into my fall and winter clothes, I need to lose some weight. I have been very inventive and will be chronicling our venture on one of my other blogs, along with recipes. I will let you know when I get it going. We both lost weight by day 15: Ray, 15 lbs - Barbara, 12 lbs. I am so excited. Ray didn't realize it before but he was out of his medication that morning when we started. He had to call it in to Express Scripts and to took 3 days for delivery. His blood sugar stabilized between 93 and 110 so when his medication came he didn't take any. He still hasn't and his blood sugar is still between 93 and 110. He is so happy and feels so much better. I am trying not to weigh in every day. I get a PT/INR test every 2 weeks and they weigh me, so I am being weighed at the doctor. We do have a good scale here, but I figured that was "official." I cannot cheat on that one. LOL! (Not that I would.) I will periodically mention the diet on this blog and carry a link to the other one. I did see an article yesterday that I think everyone should read.

I am also doing a blog called "Twitter SweetTweets" where I will be commenting on our parties on Twitter. #slumberparty #SMmanners  #CMchat #MomEoChat  Etc. I will have days and times there.
SMgirlfriends & #latteclub are 24/7.

Britt 

 People starting these are @DabneyPorte @MamaBritt, @JessicaNorthey, etc. They have made Twitter a much nicer place to be. If you look in the right column, you will see the #SMgirlfriend link to Facebook. If you are on Twitter, just put #SMgirlfriend in Search or on TweetDeck, you can click the #hashtag and it will create a column for you.

Have fun on Social Media! I am still trying to get used to Google+.

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME; ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

Insomnia Pink

Taylor & Garrett with me at our home
in North Carolina. 

I say insomnia Pink because I was tired and went to bed early. TweetDeck was acting up and chaining words vertical instead of horizontal. So I went to bed. I lay there thinking, pondering, then watching Frazer on TV. I saw the last Frazer and right after that was the first Frazer. Strange that I never watched it when it was on one of the big three channels, only after it went into syndication. It was that way with Law & Order too and a few more. I seem to find that watching older shows are better than some of the new shows. I sure hope they come up with something better than the Bachelor or Lost this year. Personally, I am not a big fan of the new "reality" shows. They just don't Entertain me at all. Snooky was on Regis & Kelly the other day, and I have seen her on Ellen too. She is just too much. If my daughter dressed like her, talked like her, and acted as slutty as she does, I might just disown her. Though I would never disown one of my children, they were raised better.

This brings me to something that I have been thinking about. I created a "YAYA Sisters" page on Facebook. A couple of weeks ago a friend from Twitter called and we talked almost an hour. She was just starting a new job in addition to a business she has on line. Her husband has been ill and the needed to supplement their income a while. Anyway, she had been talking with someone of the West Coast who is concerned about the "moral compass" of this country. It seems to be going South of late.

In fact, I have seen it deteriorate during my lifetime. I have seen children exploited by the politicians, the media, and the courts. When I was little, the worst thing we had to worry about being addicted to was alcohol, which was bad in of itself, but now we have to worry if our children are sniffing glue, spray cans, smoking herbs, smoking marijuana or crack cocaine, etc., the list is endless.  The little girls run around in clothes that look like they were made for prostitutes and 8 year old's are wearing heels and makeup already. The boys have their heads stuck in front of a TV but they are not watching it, they are playing games on it. They would sit their for hours if they are not made to get up and go outside.
American children are becoming obese because of their inactivity and being fed too many fatty, carbohydrate foods. When I was a child, sweets were a treat that usually only happened after Sunday dinner.

While we were talking, my friend said she had been thinking about the YAYA Sisters that I tweet out on Twitter. She was wondering if they could use that to spread the word about the "Moral Compass." She thought about the YAYA Sisters because it was kind of a universal name. The Moral Compass would not encompass only Christianity, but all religions. It would encourage people to raise their children with more conviction and purpose. People need to be parents to their children, not their friend. There is plenty of time to be their friend when they become adults. I love this idea so I am going to be working on the YAYA Sister page and see how many people I can get to jump on the bandwagon.

I was at the gastro doctor today and they are working on helping me with a problem that I have been having. They changed my medicine again. Sometimes I wonder about doctors. I saw a doctor on TV the other day who said, "What do you call someone that goes to medical school and has to take tests over and over to pass and it takes them 8 years to do what they should have completed in five? Answer: Doctor. He said that a lot of times if you go in to see a doctor and tell them what is wrong they may leave the room for a minute and look it up on the Internet, just like I do at home. Go figure.

I guess I better go and see if I can go to sleep now. I am yawning so much.

Good night Sweeties,
Remember:
GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!