Each Day Already is a Challenge

Ramblings

For some reason, I was thinking about my grandma early this morning, and I remembered the "swear words" she taught me as a child. Yes, this is the same grandma who taught me about "Time, Talent, Treasure"  and about whom I wrote "Grandma's Was a Simple Faith" .

"Grandma cussed?" you ask, astonished.

Yes, she did, but in her way. Sometimes when something didn't go quite right, we would hear the simple word, "Sugar," from the kitchen.

Often times when something a bit more serious transpired, she mumbled, "Well, hallelujah Hattie!" I think she had an aunt named Hattie, but I'm not really sure where her cussing phrase originated.

And on really "bad" occasions, Grandma raised her voice and said, "Sugar on two sticks!"

There were more cuss words and phrases that Grandma taught us in the ten years we were blessed to have her living with us. But those were the only ones I could recall early this morning.

I did recall something that came out of my mouth when my son was about thirteen. I'm not sure what happened that day. I really don't remember. But I remember being angry enough to cuss and the words that came from my mouth were, "Phooey fizz farts!"

My son just started at me, frozen in time and space, with his mouth agape. "Gross, Mom," he said. Then he proceeded to laugh and laugh and laugh. You know how infectious laughing is and, of course, I joined in. I guess that's why I don't remember why I was so angry. But I remember the words I spouted. They were rather gross.

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I was feeling under the weather this morning and hubby went to church without me. I think the cold and gloom is getting to my muscles and joints and to my brain. Actually, I was hurting all over, and had a horrible headache to boot.

I told hubby I would be quite content to just hunker down and hibernate for the rest of the winter, thank you. I'm cold indoors and outdoors. Just can't seem to get warm anymore. Add to that the horrible headache I had this morning, and trips to the smallest room in the house, and I just was not able to get to church.

I did, however, watch a TV preacher - Joel Osteen. Okay, okay. I know some folks don't like him, think he's New Agey, think he makes way too much money, etc., etc., etc. But believe you me, there are worse TV preachers.

Joel's message is usually a simple one, one every one of us can understand. Although he does sometimes use some weird Texas phraseology, but having lived in Texas for a number of years, I'm used to that.

You know...as folks around the country are making fun of Bubba W., lots of Texans are scratching their heads and saying, "What?" But that's another topic for another day. (Don't y'all get on me about that. All y'all know it's true. There are some fine word and phrase combinations peculiar to Texas. I think they're meant to be code words and phrases to weed out yankees or Texas wannabes.)

Anyway...I was talking about the church service. Joel spoke about one of my soapbox topics - spending time with God first thing in the morning. But his laid back way of saying things...I wish I could give you his words...just make the whole thing make perfect sense.

He suggested that folks get up a bit earlier than usual so they could start their days with God, in prayer and in His word. Makes sense to me. I know I always function better that way.

We eat breakfast first thing in the morning because we need the fuel for our physical bodies. Why in the world don't we realize we need our spiritual fuel first thing as well?

As a kid, I was blessed to live next door to a dear lady who taught me what "pray without ceasing" is all about. She taught me to pray for family members as you fold their clean laundry, as you clean the toilet, and as you stir soup in the kitchen. Smart lady, she was.

Lots of folks wait until the end of the day to talk with Dad - and to complain about how the day went. Imagine how different things might have been if Dad was included from the very beginning.

As Joel Osteen said this morning, "folks are leaving home without their Living Water."

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I should stop at the grocery store tomorrow morning after I pick up Derek from work. We're expecting quite a winter storm in the entire mid-west. How the weather band approaches our area still is up in the air, but whether we get just snow, just rain or snow, rain and sleet mixed together, they're expecting it to be inches and inches of precipitation. Lovely. So I guess I better hit the store first thing tomorrow to stock up on a few things.

But I would rather hibernate.