One evening, when I was a little girl in the 1950s, I pulled a tooth and put it under my pillow – anticipating the usual quarter that it would earn. I woke up, and under my pillow was a dime. A dime? That wasn’t enough! My father seemed amused and said to keep looking. I kept looking.  Between the mattress and the box springs, I found a nickel. Keep looking!  Inside the pillowcase, I found another dime. What fun! I had my 25 cents, but I got it via a mini-hunt. That was so much more exciting than a solitary quarter directly under the pillow! That excitement stayed in my memory.

Fast forward about 25 years, and my own daughter lost her first tooth. Remembering the fun of that long ago morning, I wrote out some rhyming clues for her and had her looking throughout the house for money and gifts. I AM my father’s daughter, after all – and that meant that I went all out on whatever I did – and if I was going to be a scavenger hunt tooth fairy, then I would make the most elaborate scavenger hunt with rhyming clues that I possibly could. Thus, throughout their childhoods, my two children celebrated each tooth – each special occasion – with increasingly convoluted hunts and rhymes.

Fast forward another 25 years, and my daughter did the same for her girls. My daughter even called me one time to teasingly chastise me for getting her into such a time-consuming endeavor. Being a scavenger-hunt-creating tooth fairy is a lot of work!

Fast forward, again, to yesterday when I celebrated my 75^th birthday.  First thing in the morning, I received the following text in the family text thread:

75 trips around the sun,

So much love and so much fun!!

We have thought long and hard about the best way to celebrate you!

The best mother and GC that any kids or grandkids ever knew!

As little kids the best surprise came with a hunt;

It’s the only way to get the special thing you want!

Birthday wishes throughout the day,

But none of us will give it away.

Later today you will get your first clue and a special treat!

Which of your family will deliver something so sweet?

We love you so!
Happy Birthday to YOU!!!!!

Throughout the day I had phone calls and texts from my children, my children’s spouses, and each of my granddaughters. Then last night Ron and I went out to eat at a favorite restaurant in Nashville. When we got home, we settled in our recliners, and suddenly there was Joey, Meleah, Evelyn, and Bradley at the door – with a birthday cake and another rhymed clue. The cake was chocolate and scrumptious, and the clue was fun!

Happy 75^th birthday!

Today is just the first clue

How many days will we celebrate you?

1 day, 2 days, 3 or more

Each day it is you we will adore.

Tomorrow you shall received clue number 2

A treat there will await you.

Where shall you go?

Where your skin will glow!

At 11:00 a.m. cash this token in

And you will get your first win!

Love,

Your family

So this morning at 11:00 this morning, I went to Meleah’s business, pureSkin Wellness and had a Glow2Facial – which makes my skin feel absolutely wonderful. As I was about to leave, I saw a paper propped next to my purse. Another clue!

Hope you enjoyed your very first win

And feel that gorgeous glow on  your skin.

Tomorrow it’s going to be a sweet treat

And a video meet and greet!

We know you love your grandgirls and us all

So anytime with them is always a ball.

Tomorrow there is a call you shall take

And a sweet visit with a cupcake.

Will the big surprise end there?

We shall keep you on the edge of your chair.

Happy birthday!

Love,

Your family

So I am eagerly anticipating tomorrow. “Video meet and greet” sounds exciting! I’m guessing it may be one of the older grandgirls who are off being all grown up and independent in other cities. Or maybe it’s Larisa who has been out of town since the weekend. I am perfectly okay with celebrating my birthday for multiple days. When you’re 75, it’s a good thing!

Have you ever read or heard someone declare that once you’ve prayed about something one time, you need to let it go and wait for God’s response? However, Jesus taught that it’s okay to keep on coming to God with whatever is weighing on our hearts.

#livingrealwithcarol, #themediansib, #praywithoutceasing

In the May 26th My Utmost for His Highest devotional, Oswald Chambers writes about prayer, and it helped me understand prayer better. Maybe I’m not such a bad “pray-er” after all.

#livingrealwithcarol, #themediansib, #prayerbreathing

I am learning so much this year by reading the chronological Bible. Although I’m in the New Testament now, there was a reference to Malachi. It is interesting how seeing a word or phrase can lead a person to other memories and thoughts. From my reading specialist days, that’s “making connections” which is a cornerstone of reading comprehension and understanding. Here are my thoughts about God’s wings.

#livingrealwithcarol #undergodswings, #daddyswings, #themediansib, #biblereading

Doubt can be good. An examined and questioned belief can stand the test of life’s struggles.

I started the year off with lots of videos, and then got sidelined with kidney cancer surgery which took me a solid three months to get back my energy and stamina. So now I’m back. I’m still dealing with some non-urgent physical issues, but thankfully they’re not stopping me from doing the things I enjoy.

By the way – my liver biopsy was last Thursday (not Friday). I was at the hospital on Friday but it was to be with Ron who had surgery to remove wider margins around a melanoma on his back.

Also, the loud panting on the video is Sky, our yellow lab. She had a lung condition that causes that heavy breathing. She’s under our vet’s care and isn’t in any pain – just very noisy.

In just a week, I will fly with Larisa to Porto, Portugal. There we will meet Lily who is flying there from Dallas. Then the three of us will meet Sophie because her Semester at Sea voyage will be in Porto at that time.

Sophie will give us a tour of her ship. Lily is especially excited to see the ship again since she did SAS in the fall of 2022. Sophie will have been in Porto for a couple days when we arrive.

Then the next day, the four of us plus two of Sophie’s SAS friends will have a day long guided tour of wine/vineyards in the area

Sophie will then board the ship and they will set sail for their final leg of this SAS voyage. she’s been traveling since early January.

Larisa, Lily, and I will then go to Madrid where we will spend several days. We will take a tapas cooking class while we are there. Then Lily will fly back to Dallas, and Larisa and I will travel to Bremerhaven, Germany where Sophie’s ship will dock and the SAS trip for this semester will be completed.

Larisa, Sophie, and I will go to Amsterdam where we will have a tulip tour and spend a couple days. Then Sophie will continue traveling with some SAS and Elon friends, and Larisa and I will fly back home.

I am still recuperating from my kidney cancer surgery from January 26. I have been feeling light-headed at times when I stand up. So I saw the doctor yesterday. I didn’t want to chance feeling bad during the trip to Europe.

We are discontinuing my blood pressure med since my BP was low. However, I will still take some of my BP meds on the trip with me – just in case I need them.

I’m waiting at the Vandy lab now for a cortisol test to see how my right adrenal gland is handling producing cortisol for both glands since the left one was removed during my kidney surgery.

I’ve also lost about ten pounds since my kidney surgery. I weigh around 135 now +/- a pound or two. It will be interesting to see what this cortisol test shows. I am hoping my right adrenal gland is stepping up to the plate and handling my body’s needs and that my other symptoms are just a matter of recuperating from surgery. That’s best-case-scenario.