Chesapeake Bay Beach

 ***WARNING long****

Good morning dear friends.

There are a lot of pictures to see today and this was not all of them that my daughter and I took. It was a glorious day going to the Chesapeake bay beach area. It was the one thing my daughter wanted to do and we did not know what kind of walk this was going to be for me but I made it. 

It was extraordinarily beautiful and I hope that you all get to go along with us. I love you all so much and take you with me in my heart everywhere we go. 

(I have to recount a couple of things that happened. We passed several people on the 1.2 mile hike and when one of them saw me sitting on the beach on my Walker, she said to me," you made it" and I said "yes, I did."

Another group saw an elderly woman sitting on a Walker as the tide came in, all alone as everyone else had gone to the point and they seemed concerned for me like they were worried I was there to end it all. 

But I wasn't there to look on what this year has been or to look back in any way. They only way that I made that walk, cause the trail was impossible, was by stepping one foot in front of the other. My daughter asked on the way back, " do you want to stop and rest?" and I replied" no,if I do I won't be able to keep going". That is what we have to do. No matter what challenges we may have especially now, we have to keep stepping forward and not looking back, so that we make it. It was a huge struggle for me yesterday and I would not have made that trek without Wendi and Casey, (Jenny's niece) helping me. Wendi carried my Walker and Casey helped shove me up the dunes by holding my back and giving me the power to go up them and to walk in that sifting sand. )

I love you all more than I can say. I will be continuing my recovery today but I can say, I made it. Just as that one lady said to me on the beach. I made it and you all will make it and we will do that together. I carry you all in my heart. Always, kimme

Bags Of Gold from Norma Dibbell

 I just finished making one of my oldest daughters favorite dishes that came from her Grandma Norma Dibbell. I am sure that they are not as good as Mom's but Wendi loves them. They are called Bags of Gold and are cheese filled dumplings with tomato and onion sauce. Yummynumminess.. Wendi Downs is going to be happy when she sees this:-) Thanks Mom for all the amazing food..

The People That Loved Me As A Child.

 I wish that those on TV and those in office would really listen to this message. What a beautiful human being he was and we all need to do better. I am so glad that Youtube led me to Mr Rogers this morning. 

He was a blessing for my heart this morning as I tried to think of those that truly loved me and encouraged me to become and I can fit them on one hand growing up. They don't even fill one hand for me. 

My dear Grandma Peacock who died when I was 7 and treated me as if I mattered to her. She always had time for me and made me feel special. Whether is was washing clothes and letting me help or bringing me a glass of ice tea in pretty glasses on the front porch with the first cookies she had baked. What a special Grandma she was. 

My Daddy after he stopped drinking. He always told me I was smart and he wanted me to go to college so badly. He did not live to see that happen but it did happen and his voice was in my head as I walked across the stage to be Valedictorian of my Nursing Class. I immediately went into RN school and 1 1/2 years later, my life long dream to be a RN was done. 

My Sister Donna. We were like two peas in a pod growing up. More like twins than sisters. Some people even thought we were until she outgrew me when she was 12. She and I were always together. If I went somewhere, she came with me until I had my first date at age 15 and she stayed at home. It didn't feel right being without her but I was growing up and when I got married 2 years later, It was so hard for me to leave her behind. I understood then what it meant when my older sister had to leave me when I was 7. 

My 6th Grade teacher Ms. Walker. Lordy what a wonderful woman she was. Tall with white hair piled on top of her head and a smile that would melt butter on day old bread. She was a beautiful human being, just like Fred Rogers was. She nurtured every child that she met and made all of us better human beings by her example. 

I pray that there are still Grandma's, Daddy's, Sisters and Teachers that build our self esteem and make us feel like we can do anything.  

I love you and pray that your day is blessed like mine is this morning. Always, Kimmee

 ( Last photo is Jay Elementary and High school in the 60's where I went growing up) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcNxY4Tu

Butterfly Quilt Made By My Cousin Pamela Poole

 I just received this amazing Butterfly quilt from my beautiful Morris Cousin, Pamela as a Thanksgiving Day surprise. I can't believe how beautiful this quilt is and that fabric couldn't be anymore perfect for me. I feel so blessed and overwhelmed by the love that  you all have for me. God bless you.Pamela and all of the wonderful family and friends that bless my life. I have so much to be thankful for. My heart is so full. Thank you my dear cousin..

Spanish Moss of Florida

 There is something so magical about trees, especially trees in the South. (No offense meant to any other section of the country cause I have been to most of them) But in The South, we have this thing called Spanish Moss and it is beautiful and mystical. It does not feed off the tree nor kill it, but collects its nutrients from the air and debris that catch on the plant. It is a bromeliad which I never knew until I looked it up. I find that fascinating as I Adore bromeliads and they require a lot of moisture, which makes Florida's humidity a wonderful place for them to grow. 

All the facts about Spanish Moss is not why I love it. I love it because it dances for me. 

Today a small breeze came up and it just danced and danced in the trees just for me.. In  my youth I would have shinnied up that amazing old oak tree that I took a picture of, with its shaded nook and been happy for half the day. lol. But today I can only look at it and remember how carefree climbing a tree, eating on a pear, and watching the dance can be.. 

I also noticed this wonderful oak dream catcher right above the pool where I day dream when I get in the water in the summer. I never knew it was there but it was catching my dreams and making them come true.. 

The little Chatterers (squirrels) were out in full force today also, protesting my shots at them but posing just the same.. 

 I hope that all of my family and friends today are enjoying this incredibly blue sky with the sunshine warm on your face as it is mine. Never forget to dance as Mekko Bearheart would say.. Love, Kamama

Christmas, Long ago.

 I used to absolutely love Thanksgiving when the kids were growing up. This is 1993 and my little Grandson is 1 yr old. He was only a tiny 4.3 oz when he was born and 3.5 when he came home so a year and some later, he is still so tiny. 

I dressed up every holiday. This was a 1950's cocktail dress in Black Velvet and Satin. I could not fit half my body in that these days but I still have the dress. lol. 

My middle daughter Mary is in the other photo with me. My Son was always shy in photos and this was the best I got that year. 

I wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving.  Ours is tempered with a bit of Christmas with Jenny's Village. lol 

Much love, Kimmee

My Longlasting Love of Books

 Today I want to focus on books. Yep, those things with pages that we can turn and hear the pages crinkle. 

My first memory of a book was when daddy took us down to the old place and we found where people had dumped some of their garbage. In that pile were magazines of True Detective and True Romance. True Detective was a magazine about actual crimes and they showed pictures and talked about what happened.  I loved the graphics on the covers, although some of them were pretty scary. 

Now Daddy would not have wanted me reading stuff like that so I did the only thing I could. I sneaked those magazines into my room.

 Ruby had read to me from the Bible and showed me a few words and by the age of 5 or 6, I could read. When I got an alone moment, guess what I did? I pulled those magazine out from under the mattress and poured over them. 

When I finished with them, school started and I went to my first Library. I was stunned when I walked into the room. I did not have any books at home to read. We did not make weekly jaunts to the library. It was a wonderland to me and the librarian was so kind. When she found out that I could read and read well, she let me check out more than two books at a time to read. She knew that two books might last me a day or less if they were small. 

I got the only discipline of my life in school, while reading books. It was 3rd grade and my teacher was Mrs. Cannon. She was a tall, dignified character of a woman and one day she asked us to change from our History Book to our Math book and I didn't  hear her, because I was immersed in reading about History.

I was concentrating so hard that I missed her walking up to my desk and looking at me. She had called my name to get my attention and still I was reading, When she got to me, she told me that I did not listen to her and change my book. I was mortified that all of the attention was on me. Then she asked me to hold out my hand, which I promptly did. She struck  my hand with a ruler and it hurt so bad. It was only once or twice,  but man did it sting. I tried real hard not to cry in front of every body and I never missed the book change again. 

Even with that punishment, my desire for reading was not quelled. Donna will tell you that I was often found with my head stuck in a book.  

Thankfulness can be toward a person or item and I am so thankful that my Sister Ruby read to me because that opened up a whole new world for me. I hope that tomorrow's children will still want to read and that we will let them. 

I read yesterday where a school in Virginia took "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn" off the shelves. What a loss that is to the next generation. 

Children of today won't know the suffering that African Americans had to go through, if we pull every thing connected to that time away. 

If we don't discuss Slavery, the Holocaust. and The Civil War,  we do a huge disservice to the next generation. Life is not all rainbows and lollipops for all people. 

 

I will continue to encourage people to read. It helps you discern truth from lies and fact from fiction.

I know that I am surrounded by people that love to read and that makes me happy. So today, I am thankful to that first scribe that put pen to cloth paper and made a manuscript for us to read.... Love to all, Kimmee