Hello Again PINK

I apologize for not writing lately. The new combination of Google, Facebook, and Twitter kind of put me in a tailspin. Facebook was the most confusing and I am still not sure what is going on. I am still tweeting, Facebooking, although I have been lacking on Google+. I am behind on my Triberr team. They may kick me off. It has been a couple of weeks.
I also got caught up in Pinterest (look at it) - Addictive! I have 73 Boards now and over 9400 Pins. There are 546 followers and I am following 1412. I haven't even been on there that long. I just love it. I keep thinking of new ways to use it. I am putting videos from YouTube on there in pins. I love the videos on sewing and quilting. It is just wonderful. Whoever thought of this should have big pockets to put all that money in.
I pinned some of my #SweetTweets from Twitter. Then set up a board for #SMgirlfriends. Then someone else set up Social Media Girlfriends and added me.Someone added me to Must Follow Pinterest People Networking!
There is a board for:

• #SMgirlfriends 
• Friends of Ricki Lake
• Thoughts of Pink
• #SMManners
• My Social Media Girlfriends
• TWITTER SLUMBERPARTY , etc.

I even got a nice tweet from Lisa Kridos, the Executive Producer of the Ricki Lake Show. She is so nice to say that I am doing wonderful things. @DabneyPorte and Britt Michaelian @MamaBritt stayed at the Montage Beverly Hills @MontageBH - http://pic.twitter.com/fspoW5CE
I think they are definitely having a wonderful time! From the pictures on the Website, I can tell. They say the service is exceptional there. I would like to go there sometime. Not sure if I will ever make it to California again.
Two weeks ago, my name appeared on "The Most Remarkable People in Social Media" by JK Callus. Isn't that special? It is nice when people recognize that you have a passion for something. And then, last week my name was in an article on "The Fifty Women You Should Follow on Twitter." I am amazed. I just love interacting with everyone and encouraging everyone I can. 
Thank you to those who have faith in me and believe that I can do whatever comes my way. I love you all.

GOD IS GOOD - ALL THE TIME!

Spring Break PINK

Our Little Beach House in NC

I went to NC for Spring Break and had a wonderful time.I stayed in our "Beach House."  Ray took me down on Friday and went back to VA on Saturday. Jesse brought a car over to park in the driveway so people would know someone was there. The twins were going to stay the night with me on Sunday night but Taylor got a tummy ache and her daddy came after her.

Me

The weather was wonderful most of the week. It was warm, but not too warm. I was able to do spring cleaning of a sort. Had to get rid of the dust bunnies, little bug bodies, and spider webs. For some reason, little funny bugs take over when we are not there. They hide in corners and get trapped in little spider webs. I really would like to retire for good and go there to live, but Ray isn't ready to move yet. He still has his business here in Virginia.

Garrett and Taylor
The Twins

We had to leave on Friday before my shot of Enbril came in. The reality is that I missed a shot for my Rheumatoid Arthritis and I am paying for it now. My legs are hurting and feel swollen. My PT/INR was really high which means that my blood is pretty thin. I had to skip my Coumadin for 2 days and I am going back to a check in the morning.  The Enbril has to be shipped packed in ice by UPS. If I had waited for it to come, I would have missed Taylor in her Easter Program she has been working on for over a month. I miss so many things, I just didn't want to miss this. It was a lot of fun and she was so surprised that we made it in time. The smile on her face went from ear to ear.

Taylor and Dancing Friends

I was able to help Rhonda some by altering Taylor and her friend Shelby's dance costumes for their Recital in May. Garrett loved staying with me. He liked playing games on my Kindle Fire. He wiped out all my scores. He is so quiet. He is very competitive. He loves to win.

I was able to rest and had plenty of time to think. It is difficult for me to focus some times. I came up with so many ideas of blog posts to write. You must read them sometime. http://barbara_duke.blogspot.com/  I tend to get on my soapbox on that blog.

Ray came back to get me Easter Weekend. We all went to our favorite Mexican Restaurant in Kinston on Saturday and celebrated Ray's Birthday. The children went to a Easter Play with their church group and had already eaten but we all went through a few baskets of fresh tortilla chips and cheese & salsa dips. We all had Steak and Chicken Fajitas. They were awesome. We go to the same Restaurant about every other time we go down, especially if it is someone's birthday. They come out with a big sombrero, pop bags, desert for the birthday person, and a lovely birthday song in Spanish.

Taylor and Great Grand Hazel

Sunday, we celebrated Easter by going to church at Ft Barnwell Baptist Church. Ft Barnwell is a suburb of Dover NC. If you are from that area, you will get a chuckle from that. LOL! The sermon was wonderful and the choir was full. It was a glorious day. Afterward, my son and his wife and her son came to Rhonda's. My mother-in-law was there. I still call her my mother-in-law because I only divorce my first husband, not her. She is fabulous and fun. Catherine, the lady that owns a horse farm behind my daughter was also there. She has had such an interesting life. I love chatting with her.

We came home to Virginia on Monday. It was a lovely drive and I didn't even take a nap.  So glad to get back to normal life. Love you all!!!!

GOD IS GOOD - ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME - GOD IS GOOD!

Baseball PINK!

I was planning on writing about etiquette tonight but something has come up that I would like to share with you:

My daughter, Rhonda, is a 1st grade teaching assistant in a small elementary school near Cove City, North Carolina. Maybe a little background will help to explain. When Rhonda was growing up, her father was in the Air Force so she grew up in an ethnically diverse atmosphere. Rhonda has color blindness and she learned this from her mother. All men are created equal.

Rhonda and her husband have the twins, Garrett and Taylor. Both of which are very ethnically diverse in their thinking because that is the way their mother has taught them. A few years ago Rhonda and then Jesse coached the baseball team in Cove City. They didn't distinguish between the Black, Hispanic, Asian, or White children. All were selected for their team and it has remained that way since. There is not another team in the league that has as much diversity. Unfortunately, neither Rhonda or Jesse can coach this year.

Some of the churches in the area have always supported this league, since it is a church league. This year, due to economic hard times most have decided not to support the team. They need $2600 to get their team on the roster for the league this year. Most of the children come from financially destitute backgrounds. The teachers bring in bags of food for the children to have food on the weekends, it is that bad. In the summer, they get painfully thin. Rhonda and some of her friends have tried to help in so many ways. They have yard sales, bake sales, etc. They have asked for donations so these children can have the joy of playing on a baseball team.

If you can find it in your heart to donate, this is who you can send a donation to:
Make check payable to:

Cove City Baseball
c/o JP WHITFORD
226 LOOP RD
COVE CITY NC  28523

The team has 501C3 Non-Profit status, and contributions are tax deductible. It doesn't make any difference if it is 1, 5, 10, or 20 dollars. If they get enough to join the league by 2600 people donating a dollar, that is no different than 26 people donating $100.

Any contribution is appreciated. If they get more than is needed, the poorer children will get new uniforms and equipment will be replaced, since they are playing with very old equipment.

Now here is something I thought about, most older people are still skeptical about social media and look at me funny when I tell them I have over 63K people following me on Twitter and almost a thousand on Facebook. They think there is no power in social media, but I think there is enormous power in social media.

This is your chance to make a difference to a group of deserving children who live in a rural part of North Carolina. This is your opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ, or whoever you believe in. This could make a difference in the life of a few children. It would show them the goodness of others and perhaps help them to make changes in their lives as they grow up.

Who am I to ask? A grandmother who loves her grandson's little friends who want to play baseball. If I have ever helped you in any way, brightened your day, prayed for you during difficult times, I would hope you would contribute. Let them know that you heard about it from me, so I can get the list of contributors and publish it here on my blog. If you cannot contribute, please ask God to bless them with the finances they need so that the children can play ball this coming summer.

All money must be turned in by the end of March, so there is not much time. My check goes in the mail tomorrow.

Thank you and blessings to you, Barbara Duke

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

Think Pink

Think Pink. There are so many people/businesses who base everything on pink. They started a support group at church for women with breast cancer, what about people who have other forms of cancer. I just found out that a dear friend has cervical cancer. Since she is in her 80s, I don't imagine there is a lot of treatment that she will want to do. Sometimes doctors won't do so much when someone is sick and that age. It if almost like being written off as too old to think about. There is something in this country that we really need to start thinking about. We Baby-Boomers are beginning to retire and soon there may be a lot more "old" people.

Those young people who are making fun of "the old guy" or the "old lady" might try sitting down with some and learning what life is about. I notice that the young people tend to think about themselves, but as you get older, you start noticing the pathos of the world and all the hunger, homelessness, and illness that can make life unbearable.

When you get older, you begin to see that money doesn't have the meaning that it did when you were younger. You begin to see money as a way to help other people and help to make life bearable for them. The point that you reach when you realize that you are wealthy in so many things. Wealthy in family, friends, associates, and even your kindness to strangers. Okay, I am off my Soapbox.

 I have been having so much fun. Judy and I posed at the quilting group in our Udderly Smooth hat and all the wonderful product that our friend at Udderly Smooth sent to us. I received one package last summer after #slumberparty and then they sent me another one right after Christmas last year. Well, we finally made our picture. I posted the picture somewhere but I cannot find it. I did however, send it to Udderly Smooth on Twitter. I just cannot find it on my computer.

I was invited to a Breast Cancer Support Group at the Cancer Center last Thursday. Evidently, they have one now. I am 3 years out now, and I am still so tired that I can barely make an evening function on my best days. I was surprised in my early days of dealing with breast cancer, even the Cancer Society didn't have any available partners to help through the process. I had to rely on the support that I got on Twitter and Facebook.

Today, I went to a neurological psychologist. He asked me lots of questions and I have to go back in in April to have 2- 2-hour sessions. I have been having some strange memory problems and tomorrow I am going to have a MRI of my head and spine to see what is going on there. Ray is taking me. I have to have Valium before I can go in the machine, so I won't be able to drive. I am going in positive that everything is alright. Say a little prayer for me if you can. All prayers appreciated.

Tomorrow, Ray is having a Birthday and a kinder man hasn't been born in this generation. We are as much in love as we were when we met and fell in love 20 years ago.
Love to all, Barbara

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME

Everyday Pink

There has been a lot going on lately. I am sorry I haven't been writing, and I hope that I can remember everything.

At the #Slumberparty on Twitter last Friday, there was no sponsor and I didn't see a message from @DabneyPorte until late in the evening asking me to host. Anyway, I got my ducks in a row and with help of our friends, we got it together and had a grand time. Everyone had a wonderful party, drinking virtual cocktails, eating virtual food.

As you can see from the pictures, we had a pillow fight and someone had the gumption to bring a can of silly string. I think that Dabney's fiancee. Vic, brought popcorn. I am still finding kernels in the sofa. LOL! You must know that this party is all in our heads and on our screens. We send pictures of some of the most yummy food. I am excited. I go to bed feeling like I ate some of those brownies or the cheesecake, but the most wonderful thing of all is that it is all Virtual and, therefore, calorie free!

That weekend is when we all heard about the beautiful and talented Whitney Houston's passing. I am so sorry and my prayers are for her family in this time of mourning. It is so wonderful to know that Whitney was a saved Christian and her passing was a real home-going and she is with her Father in Heaven.

I meant to finish this last night. I have more to say, but it might take me a day or so. I am really in a mood to write. Yes!

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

Always Love You Pink

This picture shows the anthuriums that I received for Valentine's Day. That is what I asked for. We went out to dinner and had a very nice evening. I made Ray promise not to give me any chocolate. Candy is not good for my Rheumatoid Arthritis.

It is becoming evident to me that every time I eat sugar, I have intestinal problems and lots of joint pain. I guess I need to do a little more research on the subject. When I went on Tricare for Life, I had to drop my regular medical insurance. Shouldn't have done that. I am paying a lot more for drugs now since Medicare doesn't pay for medicine. I wish I could have avoided going on Disability. I didn't know you had to go on Medicare if you were approved for Disability. Medicare has so many conditions that they don't cover tests for. I am not allowed to have a mammogram twice a year any more. I went to my GYN Doctor the other day and if I wanted a PAP smear and exam, it would have cost me over $300. Turns out that Medicare doesn't pay for one every year, I think it is every other year. Anyway, I didn't get the exam. It really didn't matter, because I didn't really want one. My GEHA insurance was the best. When I went on Medicare, I was able to put it on hold in case I ever wanted or needed to use it again.

Why is everything so difficult? It seems like when you get sick, the government steps into your business and changes everything. I cannot work now, but I am not prevented from making money passively. What does that mean? It means money from rental properties, stocks, etc. I understand why seniors are in such a pinch. Evidently, Uncle Sam thinks we should all live on less than a thousand a month. I know people that their car payment is that much. I am glad I have a nest egg and don't have to worry about it.

This past weekend, I was so shocked to learn about the passing of Whitney Houston. She seemed to bookmark my life as she did so many others. All of her beautiful songs bring back so many memories. I am so sorry that she succumbed to drugs. They plagued her most of her adult life. When will celebrities learn that whatever talent they have is a gift from God and they should use it for His Glory. I have no doubt that Whitney is with God now. Satan couldn't claim her. Once you accept Christ, all Satan can do is tempt and mess up your life. I think I heard that Whitney was a Christian. You cannot lose your salvation. Whitney is up there singing with the angels. She was so loved while here and missed now she has gone home. All we can do is appreciate the fact that we have her wonderful music on audio and video sources. I pray that her family can accept her passing easily because she had just joined our father. There is no pain where she is, only Joy. I find it very comforting to think of her this way.

I guess I better get to bed, tomorrow is quilting for the Children of the King's Daughters Hospital. Got to get busy. I have been reading a lot about quilting and think I really could do this. It is something that I enjoy also. I even added a Sewing and Quilting pages on my Pinterest Board.

I love you all and thank you so much for reading my blog. Please subscribe for updates, and remember:

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME

Valentine Pink

Valentine's Day is almost here! It is not really my favorite day. When I was single and that was a few years, it always seemed like whoever I was dating would break up just before Valentine's. Either I was dating jerks or just tightwads. LOL! My first husband used to complain when I gained weight, but would give me pounds of chocolate on Valentine's. I couldn't resist and then he had something else to complain about.

Sweet Ray knows better than to give me chocolate. He gives me jewelry and I buy him dinner. He likes food in restaurants. Don't get me wrong, he loves my cooking, but likes to eat dinner with me when I don't have to cook and clean. He likes it when I focus on him. I like it when his focus is on me too.

One of my quilting friends passed away. Her name was Mary Helen Porter. She was a dear sweet lady and she had just turned 71. Since we have a couple of ladies in their 80s, Mary Helen was one of the younger ones, other than me. She was very precise with her quilts and had a wonderful sense of color. She was a wonderful Christian woman who shared her faith with others. She retired as a school teacher and retired from the Newport News School System where she continued to substitute and tutor after she retired. Her obituary and comments on the Legacy network are wonderful. We will surely miss her sweet smile and good humor.

There is a mess going on in our area. A company called "Mo Money" made a big mistake and did not properly file taxes or pay the customers on time. Now the IRS and the Government are all tied up in it. WTKR (CBS) jumped on a report about someone not being able to cash their check from "Mo Money". From everything I have heard, they are charging exorbitant amounts of money to do the taxes in the first place. I am not sure I would have entrusted my tax information to a company that could not spell. I hope they get this all straightened out and those poor people get their money.

I discovered Pinterest. It is just so much fun. I have pinned everything I can think of so far. I even pinned my SweetTweets on Twitter. I made having their real smiling face and real name the only way that I will pin them. Slumberparty is a little different. It is a fun thing. It is a Party.

Oh well, Craig Ferguson is coming on. I need to go to bed now. Love you all

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME