MAKE-OVER

Strange how a major make-over can happen without any pre-planning. 

This make-over just sort of evolved.  It all began with deciding to let my hair grow out.  I have worn it very, very short for quite a few years now.   

2007 with my daughter Suzette

A recent picture with it longer.  Mickey asked me last night if I was going to let it keep growing.  I told him I really didn't know.  He said he'd like for me to get it long enough to put in a pony-tail.  We'll see!!

Can't remember how many months it's taken for it to grow out.  It was quite a chore because it was up over my ears on the sides.  It's a little longer than this now but I don't have a real recent picture. 

 The other area I REALLY need a make-over is on my weight.  I realized I was not going to have any success trying to lose the 24 lbs I need to lose without getting some type of exercise.

 I began walking daily (except Sundays) on August 23rd by walking around the block which took me 14 minutes. On September first I participated in a 7 Day Challenge that required I walk at least 30 minutes a day, so I began walking over to the neighborhood park and back. Mickey has been a real trooper and is walking with me.  The health benefits are as important for him as for me. 

These are the lovely, almost like new, because I have not been using them :o(: ,  tennis shoes that my daughter Jacque bought for me in September 2011 when I WAS being faithful about walking.  

This morning I went by myself, because Mickey was worn out from wrestling the 2 water heaters yesterday (another post about that later).  We had a very nice rain during the night, a slight breeze, and overcast sky this morning made it a very pleasant walk & I was able to increased my time to 36 minutes!!

Of course, along with this 7 Day Challenge was correction in eating with a list of 7 things not to eat or drink:  Soda (no issue to me), White Bread, Fast Food, Chips/Crackers, Sugary Desserts, Candy, Processed Meats, Alcohol (no worry about that one!).  I adhered to this and am still watching all these items.

Sorry to say I have not yet seen much of a decline in the pounds.  Only down 2.8 lbs. in the almost 3 weeks.  BUT I am not discouraged and I am determined.

The other area I badly need a make-over in is my sleeping.  I have never been a good sleeper, even as a kid, but it has gotten worse as I've gotten older.  The main problem I have is relying on the noise of the TV.  I am working hard to break this BAD habit.  I'll blog later about my success in that area as I achieve this sleep make-over.

I love the way God works things out in our lives.  We "just happen" to have started a new Wednesday night 9-week teaching by our Mrs. Pastor, Michele, on prayer.  Although I am a pray-er, and learned a lot about it about 13 years ago reading the book: Arthur Murray on PRAYER. the area I need work and change in is quieting my mind, and learning to sit before my LORD.  So this is another make-over in the works.

Wonder what other areas God will lead me into a major make-over of?

Lord, I'm willing. 

Are you in the midst of any major make-over?  Or are there any areas you know need a make-over and you just haven't taken that big step of commitment yet?

One thing we know for sure:  

JESUS is in the BUSINESS of make-overs.  

Making us into HIS image.   

WHAT fb MEANS TO ME

There is a lot of discussion among people, and even in the media, about social media. 

I know it can be good and I know it can be bad, depending on the people who are participating in the segment you have decided to be involved in. 

 Like most things in life it is up to us to make good choices. 

This is MY take on what it has meant to me and my life.

My participation began over 6 years ago in January, 2007 with blogging.  With much
 trepidation I created this Penless Writer blog.  I I had just celebrated my 69th birthday, the month before, and I remember distinctly thinking;  "Who in the world cares what a 69 year old grandmother has to say or think?"

I am so thankful I jumped in and began.  I have built a wonderful network of fantastic people, mostly woman, but also some very important men, who have, and are, richly adding to my life with their thoughts, input and knowledge.  We "share" our lives in our blogs: both the good times and the sad times.  We pray for each other and hold each other up.  One of the benefits, which I never imagined or was aware of when I began, is that I have had the privilege of meeting 17 of these wonderful people in REAL flesh and blood life!!!  I have NEVER been disappointed and they are always as I have pictured them from how they have presented themselves in their blogs. 

As you can see, since you are currently reading this blog!!!  I am still blogging 6 years and 8 months later and my plans are to continue until The Lord tells me different. 

Actually, as the title indicated, this blog post is about what fb means to me.

fb is the only other type of social media I participate in.  I do not tweet, I do not text, and I do not even know the names of anything else that might be out there.

People seem to fall on one end of the spectrum or the other where fb is concerned:

I know some who totally have NO use for it whatsoever (some of my own immediate family).

I know some that think it is totally bad.

I know some who dabble in it just a bit.

I know some who think it is a good thing and are very active in it.

I fall in the last category..

I know a lot of people have some fears about fb exposing too much of their privacy.  I do not.  

I believe our lives should be an open book and a LIGHT.  We should be living in such a way as not to have to hide anything.  ALSO, we should be willing and want to share words of TRUTH and encouragement to others.   We should hold strong enough convictions, on what we believe and what we base our lives on, to want and be willing to share with others on a wide range of subjects and issues.  

On the flip-side:  it is important to always be kind.  We can state, even a negative opinion, about a subject in such a way that is not a personal attack.   If we happen to be having a down day or just feeling "out of sorts" it is important to know when to put "a zip on our lip".  I live by the motto: "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."  My personal opinion is also I do not have to defend myself in any way on any subject.  We are ALL entitled to personal opinions without fear of being attacked, or put down, for them. 

The above are all my personal views. 

I treasure the connections I have made, first in blogland and now on fb, that have, and are, enlarging and enriching my life.  It has helped me connect and share in their lives in a way I would have otherwise missed out on.  It gives me

insight into people and who they are. 

With Mickey's recent health issue it was a very real support of prayer, literally around the world.   I truly believe God has and is using this avenue in my life for good.

I am thankful for it and plan to continue .

Would love to hear YOUR opinion.

 

A Small Look At Me & My Life Through THE ALPHABET

Recent picture of me.

I decided to go through the Alphabet to tell a little bit about me.  Some you may already know, some you may not.  I hope you find it fun and interesting.  I've tried not to give this a lot of thought and go with my first instinct. 


A - AGE - is a fact of life.  We did not choose when to be born and it is totally a matter of living 24/7 365 days a year.  It amazes me how many people fret about what their age is, or is not.  Mine is currently 75.

B - BALLOONS - hot air ones that is.  Mickey & I have owned 2 hot air balloons in the past. The first one was called Suzy Blue, and the second one was called Pink-A-Boo.

C - CHRISTIAN - the basis of my faith and my life, since age 18.  

D - DADDY - I was definitely a Daddy's girl.  I adored him and I have always appreciated all the things he taught me, both by word and action.

E -  ETERNAL - goes with C - I believe I have eternal life, not "will have"  I already have.

F - FAMILY - next to God, family is, and always has been the most important thing to me.

G - GRATEFUL - I am basically a very grateful person for everything I have and have enjoyed during my lifetime.

H - HEALTH - I have been blessed with good health.  I do not take any medicines/prescriptions on a daily basis.

I - INDEPENDENCE - in many ways I have always been very independent.  This is one area I am seeing decrease as I'm aging and need some help doing some things and I rely very heavily on my husband.

J - JOYCE - of course.  I inherited this lovely Irish last name from my dear husband and claimed it proudly.

K - KINDNESS - I think kindness is one of the most important things we can give to all people, at all times, in all situations.

L - LOVE - because I have been blessed with such an abundance of it my entire life.  I believe unless things are done in a loving manner they are not of much value.  

M - MOTHER - my own lovely, very refined and proper one who raised me and set a good standard and my own most important role for some 59 years now.  As I always tell my kids, "Once a mother, always a mother." 

N - NOTHING - I never am thinking of "nothing" and I can't even begin to imagine people who can!

O - OPENNESS - is a quality and trait I value highly in people in every area of my life.  I, myself, am an open book.

P - POISE - is another trait I admire in people, especially when they can remain poised under fire.

Q - QUIET - I now only value my quiet time, but it is essential to my well being.

R - RELIABLE - I am very reliable and if I tell you I will do something you can be sure you can rely on me.

S - STRONG - I believe I am a strong person, not physically, but emotionally.

T - TENACIOUS - definitely one of my strengths and the one my husband admires the most.  

U - USEFUL - I believe in things being useful and using things to their maximum.

V -  VALUE - I place great value in my relationship with my family, friends. and co-workers and laborers. 

W - WORK - I believe in and have always had a good, strong work ethic. This is something I acquired from my parents and I began "working" in my father's real-estate office, answering the phone and running errands when I was about 14 years of age on Saturday and after school.  I got my first full-time job with an R.A (Registered Accountant) at age 18 and I retired from a CPA firm in 2002, at the age of 65.

 

X -  can't think of a thing except X-RAY - yes, I've had a few over my life.  At age 18 a routine one located a spot in my right side, between the rib-cage & lung.  It was surgically removed immediately.  It was a calcium deposit the size of a baseball.  I had been kicked by a young colt at about age 9 and they believe that is what cause it.  (See, more than you ever wanted or needed to know!)

Y - YELLING - I hate it and it has never be allowed or tolerated in our home.  

Z - ZEALOUS - yes, I am very zealous about everything that involved me or that I am involved in. 

a 2 z -C = CHILDHOOD

WARNING:  Lots of pictures in this one to show some of my childhood.

 The first picture I have of me - age 9 months, with my beloved sister Marion who was 12 when I was born.

 The single candle says it - 1 year old 

 My maternal grandparents Martha & Arthur T. Dickey with Marion & I.

My paternal grandparents were deceased before I entered the scene so I never knew them.  Since my maternal grandparents lived in Missouri, and  in those days we did not travel much I only saw them about 4 times during my lifetime.

  

 My mother Pauline and my father Henry Harrison Errett and I in our front yard at 202 Navajo Blvd., Santa Fe, New Mexico 

 An early Sunday School class picture at First Christian Church.

My father was a Deacon and he had played Santa Claus at a church program the evening before I was born on Christmas day, 1937.  I was raised in this church, which was a Disciples of Christ Church.

I am right behind the girl in the tam on the second row.

Across the street is Harrington Junior High where I went to the 7th, 8th & 9th grades.

The first professional photo of me.  My mother had made this dress (as she did most of my clothes) 

It was bright blue velvet with pink star buttons - I thought it was so beautiful!!!

 Me, with my niece Connie & uncle Ray who were twin children of my father's 2nd daughter.  

They lived in Peru and came to the states on a few occasions.  They were a year and 2 months older than I.  

A little confusing when my father would say, "This (the younger, smaller one) is my daughter, Susan, and these (Connie & Ray) are my grandchildren!!!  As we got older Connie & I would say we were "Cousins" because it was simpler and we didn't have to go into all the details.

Susan with her beloved dolls

 Flower girl at my Sister Marion's wedding when I was 9

 Sister Marion, Mother, Susan & Daddy

 At the annual Santa Fe Fiesta (every Labor Day weekend) with a family friend, Ray.

 My favorite picture of my Father, Henry Harrison Errett but he went by 

HH Errett most of the time.

This was taken, by a street photographer, in front of his office on the plaza.

 Susan, by the same street photographer, on the same day.  

I thought those moccasins were really something!!

 This was on the steps of my first piano teacher's home and after a few years training with her I went to the Loretta Academy nuns for my piano training.

 All dressed up in "costume" for a school production we were doing.

My beloved cat, Muffy, which was the only childhood pet I had.  She was poisoned and it was the first death, and grieving, of my life.  I grieved over Muffy for years. 

 Susan & Alonzo Martinez

Alonzo's family lived behind us and when he moved in he spoke no English & I spoke no Spanish.

Unfortunately he learned English from me and I never learned to speak Spanish.  One of the regrets of my life.  Alonzo was a year younger than I and truly a best friend growing up.  I have tried to locate him on fb but have been unsuccessful in doing so :o(

 Susan, Alonso & my forever friend Joan.

We were 3 close buddies who had so much fun with each other. 

We just stayed in Joan's lovely Albuquerque home while in Albuquerque last month for the Hebraic Roots Conference we attended.

 Before school one day with my sweater and jump rope.

 In front of the State Capital in Springfield, Mo when I was 9 on the only family trip my mother, father & I ever made to Missouri, although my mother & I went a couple of time ourselves by train. 

 Susan (center) with a group of church friends ready for another Fiesta.

 Pauline June Dickey Errett & Henry Harrison Errett in front of our front door. 

 On of the last and favorite pictures of my Daddy.

He went to Heaven in 1972 at the age of 86 years,

I was only 35. 

Grandmother & Grandfather Dickey on their 50th wedding anniversary in 1955.  I was not present but my mother was. 

I, and most of my generation, were blessed to grow up in what I consider the last generation of innocence.  I was blessed with a wonderful foundation of Christianity, family, friends, innocent fun, good education, values & morals.

I would so appreciate your leaving me a comment about your childhood.