A Prayer for “The Normal Signs of Aging”

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I love May Day. Not because it is the month when you can (mostly) count on spring finally arriving. I mean, if winter lingers through April, at least May is the month when spring must come. And, it isn’t because of the celebrations surrounding May Day, although when I was a kid, I loved making little baskets to take to my neighbor friends. No, my love of May Day is actually rather selfish. As a child, I knew that May Day meant that May 2nd was the very next day and May 2nd is my birthday.

Yesterday, I once again celebrated my birthday. The excitement still lingers even though I am now three-quarters through my life expectancy. Last year I was distracted from the full ramifications of the shock of the big 6-0 by the cancer I faced. And, to be honest, the best birthday present I ever received was the phone call from my doctor telling me my lymph nodes were clean and I didn’t need any more treatment!

But, this year has provided more opportunities to experience what others tell me are normal signs of aging. Muscles, joints, bones, energy, focus, hair that has thinned and won’t do what it used to. . . if you know, you know.

However, with age has come a realization that there are things I wish I had grabbed onto when I was younger. Things like the truth of the power available to me to live the Christian life through God’s power, rather than my attempts. Sigh. Maybe this is some of the wisdom that people talk about getting with age. To be honest, I kind of feel like I’m finally growing up. You know, maybe I’m 40 now?

When my sister-in-law wished me a Happy Birthday, I asked her. . . “How did this happen to us?”

She responded with, “One day at a time, but it still SNUCK UP on us!”

Snuck up, that’s the truth.

So, yesterday, instead of going to the arboretum as we had planned, I made an urgent visit to my optometrist to see about the new floaters and flashes in my right eye. Thankfully, as with last year, I received the best possible news from the doctor. “Your retina is fine.” But, then she had to add that other phrase. “It is just a normal sign of aging.” Yes. I think my eyes might have rolled.

There is a prayer I found a couple of years ago in The Divine Hours, by Phyllis Tickle. It is meant as a morning prayer, but by just changing the word “day” to “year” it can be a prayer for the year. Since I am facing the normal process of aging, I think it might help me remember that available power I spoke about just a moment ago. It is now not only my morning prayer, but also my birthday prayer.

Lord God Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me safely to this new year. Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity, and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen

Of Poetry Month, Arbor Day, and Psalm 148

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What do National Poetry Day, Arbor Day, and Psalm 148 have in common? Let me tell you!

It’s a beautiful day here in Western North Carolina today. The trees are all fully leafed out and everywhere you look there is glorious green. I sit at my bedroom window looking out on the massive Norway spruce that was once the Bradley family’s Christmas tree, as well as a new volunteer maple which is now big enough to offer  privacy. What a fitting way to celebrate Arbor Day.

This morning I read Psalm 148 whose theme is “Let all creation praise and worship the LORD.” After the command in verse seven to “Praise the LORD from the earth,” there is a list which even mentions the trees in verse nine. “Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars.”

It isn’t hard for me to believe that even the trees praise the LORD. Their beauty, strength, usefulness, and so many other things all shout glory to the Creator.

Besides being Arbor Day today this is also National Poetry Month. So, in celebration of Arbor Day and National Poetry Month, I offer you this poem by Joyce Kilmer, a man who gave his life for our country in World War I.

 

Trees

By Joyce Kilmer

 

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

 

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

 

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

 

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

 

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

 

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

Memories Bring Inspiration

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April 16th was the 118th anniversary of the day my grandpa, George Lee Jones was born. It seems impossible that he has been in heaven 25 years already, but it’s true. I can still picture him pouring cream over a piece of pie Grandma baked, sitting on his stool while milking the cow, or bouncing around the pasture in his white Ford pickup, one hand on the wheel. For me, these memories bring inspiration. Memories, they are like gifts that keep on giving.

To celebrate Grandpa’s birthday, I thought I would share a little about one of my current projects. If you have followed my blog over the past several years, you know that my first mystery, The Double Cousins and the Mystery of the Missing Watch was set on, and inspired by Grandpa’s ranch, south of Berwyn, Nebraska. In addition the last book in the series is also set on what was Grandpa’s ranch and the cover has a picture of the ranch. 

When we were kids, we spent a week or two several different summers out on the ranch with cousins. It might have been only two summers, but it seemed like a huge part of our childhood. So many great memories.                                     

If you’ve ever attended one of my speaking opportunities or workshops on the writing process, you’ve most likely heard the story about A Boy Named George. That’s because, in order to explain to students why I became an author, this story has to be told. And so I tell it.

Fast forward to the present. After nearly 25 years of writing, editing, publishing, and marketing books I am finally working on the picture book I originally wanted to write. It is the story of George’s Journey, a fictional retelling of the migration Grandpa’s family made from Kansas to Nebraska when he was eight. It involves a covered wagon, cold, dust, and adventures.

The advice I was given all of those years ago about picture books being the hardest ones to write was true. Cramming such a grand story into eight hundred words seems an impossible task. But, it is one I’m determined to accomplish. Stay tuned for more on this topic. Writing a manuscript is just the beginning of the process. After that the real “hard work” starts.

But, like Uncle Jim once said, “Dad (George) didn’t teach us to give up just because it was hard.”

To Celebrate National Siblings Day

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To Celebrate National Siblings Day

 

My social network feeds are full of photos of families, all dressed up for Easter. Siblings all in a row, delighted or annoyed by their beautiful clothes, depending on the child’s perception of such things. It reminds me of such pictures with my own siblings.

Today is also National Siblings Day, celebrated each year on April 10th. I think this is perfect, as it is the anniversary of the birth of my younger sister, the last sibling to join us.

National Siblings Day was started by Claudia Evart in 1995 in order to “establish a national day of recognition for brothers and sisters. . . an uplifting celebration honoring people who have helped in our development and who have shaped our values, beliefs, and ideals.”

 

Many studies have been done to see if they can learn ways in which siblings are the same or different. In addition, they have searched for the ways our siblings effect us. Most of the results are not surprising. Here are a few benefits to being part of a sibling group.

 

Social and Life Skills

Siblings can help navigate the social settings children find themselves encountering. Having an older sister or brother at school can make all the difference to an uncertain child. Siblings watch each other interact and see what works and what doesn’t. Smart siblings don’t make the same mistakes! Siblings can also be helpful in learning life skills. Things like, “you snooze, you lose” can be one learned at the dinner table in a large family. Other nicer examples can be a sibling who shows you how to tie your shoe string, how to make cookies, or even how to approach your parent with a request.

 

Playmates and Babysitters

Siblings are your first playmates. They can be your best friend or your worst enemy. They can be the source of the greatest ideas for what to do when bored. They can also get you in a lot of trouble with those ideas. Older siblings can act as baby sitters. I’m not sure this should be called a benefit, at least not from the younger sibling’s viewpoint. And to be honest, it can be a difficult job for the older sibling if the younger ones don’t want to listen. But, it is definitely a win for the parents.

 

Not Just For Childhood

Siblings can be life-long friends. They are usually the family members who will be with you for the longest period of your life. In addition, they can provide you with more siblings (in-laws) and niblings (nieces and nephews). This enlarges your family circle and gives you a built in support group for all of the ups-and-downs of life. Should one of you have an only child, those cousins can come in super handy as substitute siblings.

 

Help as Parents Age

Dealing with the challenges of aging parents can be a small task, or an overwhelming one. If you have siblings, and you work well together, it can go much smoother. This was crucial for our family when Daddy had his strokes and required in-home extended care. It was a group effort. Some were more hands on, and others used their abilities to provide in other ways. It was a beautiful thing to behold in the midst of trying days, months, and years.

 

So, if you have siblings make sure they hear from you today and often. Build those relationships. Sometimes it does take effort, lots of grace, and determination to look past our individual personality traits, but in the end it is one of the most important things you can do to provide yourself with an invaluable support system.

 

Finally, I love you Cheryl Eggers, Clark Jones, and Vonda Jones. I thank God he gave you a sister like me. No wait. That wasn’t right. I thank God He gave ME siblings like YOU. Whew!

Home is Where. . .

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At physical therapy yesterday I overheard part of a conversation. Apparently the patient shared that she was from elsewhere, but had lived here about twenty years. “Twenty years,” the therapist said. “You should be a local by now!”

I’m not so sure about that. After all, the Bradleys arrived in western North Carolina  before the Revolutionary War, and the only way I get “local credibility” with my local patients is when I mention that my husband is from here, and in fact was born in the hospital where I now work.

It made me think about home. What is home? Where is home?

When I got married my wise uncle, Jim Jones told me, “home is where you make it.” Great advice for a middle aged woman leaving her entire family and moving from South Dakota to South Florida in July. I took it to heart, but still when I was asked where I was from I always said South Dakota, or the Great Plains states.

When I’m getting ready to go visit my family in South Dakota or Nebraska I tell people I am going home for a visit. I’ve certainly never considered that I would ever think of myself as being “from North Carolina.”

Yet, here I am. I realized a couple of weeks ago that not only have I lived longer in Hendersonville than any other city, but I’ve lived in this house longer than any other house, by a long shot. And to top it off, I’ve worked at Pardee hospital eleven years now, one year longer than any other hospital.

So, is this home?  Maybe, but not completely.  After all, you can take the girl out of the Great Plains, but I don’t think you can ever take the Great Plains out of the girl. That’s where I grew up. It is where my parent and siblings, nieces and nephews mostly reside. It is home.

But there’s one thing that seals the deal. It isn’t the house, the town, or the job. It’s the husband. Home is where my husband is.

Time Travel Through Texas Hash (AKA Spanish Rice)

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Last week my husband asked about a Spanish Rice dish I remembered from my childhood. We’ve discussed this before. His mother’s Spanish Rice did not have meat. Mine had hamburger. But, other than that they seemed quite similar.

So, I confidently went to the box that holds recipes from three generations and looked. I was sure it was there, but it wasn’t. My next step was the Betty Crocker cookbook I inherited from Grandma McKnight. It was identical to my mother’s copy which my sister had (until her dog ate it.)

Anyway, there under the rice section was a recipe for Spanish Rice. But, it wasn’t at all like we remembered. However, across the page was one titled Texas Hash and it looked to be the right recipe, so Bruce made it.

Wow! You know that moment when something takes you right back to your childhood? This was one of those moments. It was delicious.

Old recipe books sometimes are outdated. Sometimes they are pushed aside because of newer ones with glossier pictures. But there are still people in this world who love cookbooks. Old ones or new ones, practical or impractical, it matters not. I am unashamedly one of those people.

I can lose myself for hours in a pile of cookbooks. If it is one of those community cookbooks, I can lose myself for hours in ONE cookbook! I have one with about fifty tiny post-its fluttering from the book where I marked a page because the recipe looked good. I may never do anything with all of them, but they are there for future reference.

It seems the internet is taking the place of cookbooks, and I’m not immune to this. We have a huge three-ring binder filled with recipes discovered on the internet or you-tube and printed off for “Bruce and Miriam’s” cookbook. Often we look through this collection when seeking for inspiration.

But, this week was potluck Sunday at our church and we knew right away what we would take. We made up another batch of the Texas Hash/Spanish Rice and off we went to church. It was well received. The classics always are, aren’t they?

A Gift of Red Geraniums for World Poetry Day

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Today is World Poetry Day, so I am sharing a piece I wrote and published in All I Have Needed – A Legacy For Life. I hope you enjoy it. I am thankful for a legacy of simple beauty and simple living.

 

RED GERANIUMS

  Life did not bring me silken gowns,

  Nor jewels for my hair,

  Nor signs of gabled foreign towns

  In distant countries fair,

But I can glimpse, beyond my pane, a green and friendly hill,

And red geraniums aflame upon my window sill.

 

  The brambled cares of everyday,

  The tiny humdrum things,

  May bind my feet when they would stray,

  But still my heart has wings

While red geraniums are bloomed against my window glass,

And low above my green-sweet hill the gypsy wind-clouds pass.

 

  And if my dreaming ne’er come true,

  The brightest and the best,

  But leave me lone my journey through,

  I‘ll set my heart at rest,

And thank God for home-sweet things, a green and friendly hill,

And red geraniums aflame upon my window sill.

            Martha Haskell Clark

 

When I read the title of this poem I immediately thought of Grandma Jones. After all, she loved red geraniums and kept one on her porch in Broken Bow most summers. One of her geraniums ended up in my Dad’s office for several years where it often reminded me of her.

But then I read the poem and I knew that this one “belonged” to my Grandma Jones.

She didn’t have silken gowns, jewels, or great opportunities for travel. She once told me that there was so much that she hadn’t yet seen in the United States she couldn’t imagine why she would need to travel overseas. She did enjoy the few trips she was able to take, but travel wasn’t something she had the opportunity to do very much of.

However, out her window on the ranch she had green rolling hills. In her window sills she kept African Violets. And on her porch in front of her chair were her red geraniums.

2023 Spring-Easter Book Suggestions

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The time-change is always an indication that spring is here. Or, at least that it is coming soon!

Spring means Easter. It will be here before we know it. The stores are already full of Easter baskets and chocolate. Like every other holiday, consumerism has affected Easter too.

Our parents chose to focus on the real meaning of Easter—Christ’s resurrection. We didn’t do Easter baskets and I don’t remember ever being in an Easter egg hunt. Our excitement was over the Easter bonnet, the new dress from Aunt Rachel, white gloves, and new shoes.

 

But many people enjoy giving Easter baskets. So I had a few suggestions for items parents, grandparents, or aunts and uncles could give a child, whether in an Easter basket or not. I know you will be shocked to hear that my recommendations are books.

First, I want to suggest a new book I came across the other day, The Garden, The Curtain, and The Cross by Carl Laferton, illustrated by Catalina Echeverri. It is a retelling of the gospel account from the Garden of Eden to the Resurrection.

Second, a friend wrote a delightful story about a bunny who wants to save the flowers in the fall. Now, I know it isn’t fall, but it’s a bunny, okay? Saving Kate’s Flowers, by Cindy Sommer, won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award – New York and has educational elements to boot. This is a beautiful picture book that all ages can enjoy. It’s illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein.

 

 

 

Third, I would like to remind you of Carolyn Frasier’s new book Moon Tree-The Story of One Extraordinary Tree, illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. This non-fiction book would be a fantastic choice for children of all ages. It too has wonderful educational information.

Next I have ideas for older readers. Susan K Marlow, my first editor, wrote an entire series for ages 6 and up. In these books she follows  Andi Carter and friends from childhood to age eighteen. Take a look at this video and check out her website. It is chock full of books and ideas. She even has accompanying educational materials for homeschoolers and young writers.

https://circlecadventures.com/book-series/

 

 

 

Finally, I would love it if you would consider my Double Cousins Mysteries as well as the Nearly Twins book. You can find more about them here on my website, and they are available through online stores. I am always happy to sell signed copies.

All you need to do is email me at miriamjonesbradley@gmail.com and we’ll get you taken care of!                         

So there you have it. My Spring 2023 book suggestions. Do you know of a great book or series for children? Share those titles below.

A Cautionary Tale – Five Fall Prevention Essentials

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As a nurse for 38 years I’ve taught fall prevention to patients more than any other single topic. I’ve also received multiple educational opportunities on the subject—at least 38.

Yet sadly, two days after Christmas I tripped while cleaning my house, turned my ankle, and broke my fibula—the smaller of the two bones in the lower leg. As I reviewed (over and over) what happened, how it happened, and what I could have done to prevent it, I identified the root cause/causes. I also realized that I had some work to do in my own home and life.

So here are my top five fall prevention essentials.

Remove Tripping Hazards.

Yes, this was my downfall—literally. A foot-stool, which I subsequently used to prop up the broken leg, stuck out a little too far and I tripped.

  • Keep pathways clear
  • Tape rugs to the floor or remove them completely
  • Fight the clutter ooze. You know what I mean.

 

Lights! Action!

  • Turn on lights before entering a room, or going up or down stairs.
  • Keep a night light on in the bathroom.
  • Turn on the bedside lamp before getting up to go to the bathroom.
  • Leave your porch light on if you are coming home after dark.

 

Don’t Be A Slug – Maintain physical strength, balance, and mobility

This is admittedly another probable root cause of my broken ankle. My balance is not good and I was unable to recover from the lack of balance/tripping conspiracy. According to the CDC, falls among adults 65 and older caused over 34,000 deaths in 2019, and there are 36 million falls reported among adults older than 65 each year. Many of these are due to loss of balance. I’m not 65, but here I am.

  • Many fitness centers, the YMCA, and other groups, offer exercise classes. You can find a world of exercises, yoga, stretches, and mobility helps online and on YouTube.
  • Some Medicare providers pay for fitness programs.
  • Walk around the block. Walk at the mall. Walk around the inside of your house.
  • Focus on exercises that build your core muscles, those in the center off your body.
  • Ask your doctor to recommend the best exercise(s) for you.

 

Move With Intention And Forethought

In my recent fall, I turned and changed direction suddenly, lost my balance, and my foot found the stool. It was a terrible tumbling trifecta!

  • Don’t make any sudden changes of direction.
  • Be aware what hazards (pets, uneven ground) is in front of you.
  • Sit on the edge of the bed for a minute before getting up in the night.
  • Take your time. Don’t rush.

 

Assistive Devices

  • If you need it, there is no shame in using a cane, walker, or wheelchair. It certainly is better than a fall.
  • Put non-slip material in the bottom of your tub or shower. Use a shower chair if necessary.
  • Install grab bars in the shower and beside the toilet.
  • Install hand rails on staircases.
  • Wear proper footwear.
  • Buy a “reacher” so you don’t need to use a foot stool. Keep things you commonly use within arm’s reach.
  • Don’t climb ladders without someone at the bottom to stabilize it.

 

Now that I’ve done my root-cause analysis and have my list of necessary corrections, I’m hoping I can avoid future falls. Will you join me?

 

We’ll call it “Fall Free In ’23”!

 

Please share your favorite fall prevention suggestion in the comments below!

A Collection of Quotes on Reading

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“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

Dr. Seuss

 

“I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.” 

Robert Louis Stevenson

 

The person who deserves most pity is a lonesome one on a rainy day who doesn’t know how to read.”

Benjamin Franklin

 

“Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all.” 

Abraham Lincoln

 

“The man who does not read good books is no better than the man who can’t.”

Mark Twain

 

“Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world.”

Napoléon Bonaparte

 

“Somebody who only reads newspapers and at best books of contemporary authors looks to me like an extremely near-sighted person who scorns eyeglasses. He is completely dependent on the prejudices and fashions of his times, since he never gets to see or hear anything else.” 

Albert Einstein

 

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.”

  Cicero

 

“A book is a gift you can open again and again.”

  Garrison Keillor

 

“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift.”

Kate DiCamillo

 

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”

 Emilie Buchwald

 

“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.”  Confucius

 

“There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world.  Love of books is the best of all.”

Jacqueline Kennedy

 

“So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install a lovely bookshelf on the wall.”

Roald Dahl

 

These quotes are all by famous people. Do you have a book quote for me? Share it below in the comments.