Each Day Is New- A New Look at Labor Day

Posted on www.yellow6347.wordpress.com

It is Labor Day week-end and a time for picnic’s, family gatherings and getting in the last vacation day’s before the end of summer. 

Are we really thankful for our job’s or do we just complain each day?  It is time for me to take a new look  at myself this Labor Day and count my blessings.

Our worship service was really fun this morning and we learned a lot about each other.  Each person was asked to wear their work clothes or something that was symbolic of their job.  My job revolves around the yellow pages print, online advertising and direct mail.  Idearc gave us some promotional material and I wore my SuperGuarantee yellow cape.  The people in the medical field wore their scrubs and told a little about their job.  We have mechanics, students, teachers, lab techs, farmers, and too many more to mention.  It was fun learning more about the people we worship with each week.

Basil Hudson, the pastor (and my husband) reminded us we need to be as prepared for our spiritual work as we are to our daily jobs.  There are many ministries within the church and workers are welcome.  We need to be more than “sponge Christians” that just soak up and never give back with our talents.  Many churches are full , but the workers are few.

Finding balance between job, family and God is essential in my life.  I want to evaluate my life and set new goals.  Labor Day has helped bring this need to my attention.

I want to walk my talk.

Each Day Is New-Where is the Father?

Posted on:  yellow6347.wordpress.com  by Brenda Hudson

I love to sit on the balcony at the beach and take in all the action.  We are always looking for a sharks, dolphins and sailboats.  I love to watch

people try to put up their canopy and a big whisk of wind catch it.  I suppose that is funny to me, but not them.

One particular day I was sitting on the balcony and noticed a little boy around two years old who seemed to be by himself.  I didn’t see any adults near him.  He had on his little inner tube and began walking out past the row of umbrellas.  I though “where are the parents?  Is anyone watching this kid?”  Step after step he was heading past the umbrellas and down toward the ocean.  I was really getting worried.  He is now at the edge of the water.  Danger is near.

I spot a young man with two other children and he hold up his arms and the little boy takes his hand.  HE IS THE FATHER.  The father knew where is son was all the time.  The little boy was safe and his father really was watching out for him.

This is just like our Heavenly Father.  Sometimes it seems we are all alone and no one is looking after us.  Our Heavenly Father has us in His sites and He has went down the path before us.  We are safe and He knows our every movement.  What a comforting thought.

Each Day Is New-A Kodak Moment

We just had a wonderful vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Yes, I know there are other beaches, but we went to Myrtle.  After all, it is sort of a WV thing.  Right?  This was a time to not hurry, make many pit stops on the way down and have our mind, soul and body refreshed.

Water just touches my spirit and one look at the vast ocean and I am open to being mentally refreshed.  For some reason, the word limitations entered my mind and I didn’t know why.  What made me think of the word limitations?

The water in the pool felt as refreshing as it looked.  The pool was very accessible, easy to get into the water and relaxed very muscle in my stressed body.  Oh, no I am thinking of the word limitations.  I know I have more limitations than I did 20 or 30 years ago.  Am I supposed to learn something about limitations?

During the week we headed out to Broadway at the Beach.  The left side of my back in the kidney area was really hurting when I walked.  I was wondering if “Uncle Arthur” had struck my back?  Am I getting old too quick?  Do I have limitations?  (I didn’t know it then, but I was getting a serious kidney infection )  Actually I was feeling like a “party pooper” with my back hurting and my legs hurting.  I was feeling sorry for myself and thought I had too many limitations.

Something is going to happen under this Water Umbrella and it will be the highlight of my vacation.  My sister and I were sitting in the sun near this water umbrella.  I see a black woman pushing a wheelchair down the side of the pool.  Her husband is a very large man in swimming trunks and his legs are off below the knees.  The man in the wheelchair looked so hot and he desperately wanted in the water.  This end of the pool has a slight ramp, but his wife didn’t have the muscle to wheel him in.

A total stranger sitting beside me told the man he would help him get into the water.  Slowly, he backed the wheelchair into the water and directly under the water umbrella.  The smile and joy expressed by the handicapped man was felt by everyone.  He sat under the umbrella with water streaming down his body and he began to laugh.  He said I could just stay in here all day.

This man certainly had LIMITATIONS, but he didn’t let them stop him.  He wasn’t afraid to ask someone for help.

I had been complaining with a back aches and leg aches, but I saw someone with no legs and I didn’t feel quite so bad. My limitations are small.

Each Day Is New-All In a Day’s Drive

West Virginia Peace

Basil and I had a free day and thought we would go on one of our wild and wonderful trips.  We knew it would be in West Virginia and all in a day time drive.  We were looking for something and knew where to find it.

 

We spent some time at Babcock State Park over 40 years ago and remembered the serenity and peace of this remote and quite place.  This would be one of our destinations today.

 We have three vehicles, but this would definetly be a “trucking” day.  We stopped at Hawk’s Nest State Park and realized it looked the same as it did years ago.  I remember going to Hawk’s Nest with my parents as a child.  Back then, there were souviner shops all along the road and vendors hung out bedspreads for people to purchase.  Most of the shops have been closed.  The mountains are the one thing that still hold the beauty and tranquility of West Virginia.  No one can change it.

We finally arrived at Babcock State Park and it was like a place where time had stood still.  We rolled down the truck windows and let the breeze rustle our hair and cool our faces. Most of the cabins were still nestled in the overgrowth of mountain laurel and thick pine trees.  It was so quite you could hear the water rushing over the boulders in the creek and in the distance you could hear the birds singing.

We drove through the park and recalled memories of staying in one of the cabin years ago.  The cabins are well equipped with electric and moden appliances and most have a fireplace.  I just needed to smell the smoke from the chimney to make the scene perfect.

The green trees were like a canopy over us as we drove through a tiny one lane road.  The darkness under the trees provided a perfect place for thousands of ferns to find a place to present their message.  The deer were at peace as they ate their fresh greens in the fields. 

We borrowed some of this peace from Babcock today.  This was a good time to reflect and learn how to pray for those that are hurting.  I felt so close to God and just took time to talk to Him.  We can find peace in the most unusual places.

West Virginia has many places where you can leave your burden and pick up a smile.  Try it!

Each Day Is New- All Things Connected

Out of the abundance of the heart my mouth speaks.  I feel a deep need to express myself in words that will relieve the grinding within me and loose the threads that binds so tight.  All things within me seem to be connected.

All the things we see, hear, feel and even smell translate into a physical emotion that brings sorrow or joy to us.  The smell of a new born babies neck and the touch of his tiny toes always brings a deep breath and a big smile to my face.  This sight and touch puts my memory in reverse and immediately I think of cuddling my own children and the joy they brought.

A beautiful morning can be crushed before it has time to continue by erratic words that enter your ears.  The sounds seem to quickly go past the ear and into your gut and them explode out to your nervous system.  How it is possible?  How can three and four letter words effect our emotions?

When our heart is breaking there is a longing to just cry.  How is my heart connected to my eyes?  My tears seem to be a great release and maybe it is the place where all the tension can be released back into the air.  I remember a verse of a song…”He washed my eyes with tears that I might see.”  Don’t let anyone convince you that only wimps cry.  All great people find a time and place to cry…so they can go on with life.  All things are connected.

A beautiful rose may wonder …”what is my purpose?”  Then someone walks through the garden and bends down and strokes the roses’ petal.  Then the person comes closer and smells the fragrance of the rose and says “oh, this smells so good.”  This one little roses’ smell may have brought peace to someone very sad or a recalled a memory of roses in the past.  All things are connected.

Within me is the power to pray very privately to God and express all my thanks for His bountiful blessings or I can empty my ugly thoughts and deepest needs.  All things within me are connected to Him.  I don’t have to be afraid to tell Him my needs (actually He already knows my thoughts).  Asking forgiveness and expressing praise opens up new opportunities to see out of different eyes and realize He is in control.  All things are connected.

Lord, the things that have passed through our sight this morning can touch us and make a sad day better.  You have provided beauty through the smell and color of a garden of flowers.  Help us take time to stop to smell the flowers along our path.  Bless those that share their words and encouragement.  In His Name-AMEN

Each Day Is New- Do Birds Really Love?

I put a beautiful grapevine wreath with a floral arrangement on my deck this spring.  In a few days a robin had discovered a beautiful place to start her nest.  I really think I watched love in motion with every twig that she carried to the wreath.  Many flights and pieces of straw later, she had a safe place to lay her eggs.

Three little eggs soon appeared and you could see the connection of a mother bird to be.  Diligently she stayed with the eggs and didn’t hesitate to give chase to the blue jays or anything else that came near her eggs.  She already loved what would soon be her babies.

Two eggs hatched and hungry babies soon were peeping and wanting food.  We have watched her fly from the nest to gather worms and come back with two hungry mouths open.  Many flights throughout the day and many feeding later to care for the babies.  I can see the love in what she does.

We kept seeing the mother bird come to the nest and pick up a white pearl sized ball.  I did a little research and found this is a fecal sac that comes out of babies for a while.  The mother loves the babies so much she picks it up and removes it from the nest.  Call it what you may….I call this love.

Yesterday she had really been quite busy hunting for food.  I watched as she decided to take a break for herself.  She perched on the back of a patio chair and ruffled all her feathers and started grooming herself.  All the while, she never took her eyes off the nest.  She flew back to the nest for a brief time…just to look at the babies and see if they were okay.  I know she loves these babies.

We were eating our 4th of July lunch when the first baby quickly flew from the nest and only one bird was in the nest.  I am sure the mother robin is now pulled in two directions.  She loves both babies and wants to care for the one learning to fly and have time to care for the one still in the nest.  A mother’s love goes beyond bounds…even with birds.

My heart became very humble as I observed and compared my own motherly instincts with this little robin.  This little bird cared for her babies far better than some humans.  She prepared for the birth, cared for the babies night and day and taught them how to fly.  The whole time I had my two children in the “nest” was a time to care and teach them to fly on their own.

My children are now grown and have a family of their own, but the mother in me remains the same.  I want what is best for my children and I never want to see someone hurt them or make them suffer.  I hope I taught them how to fly and how to avoid the beast of prey.  God, this mother prays a deep prayer of concern and ask you to protect them now. 

The robin and I have a lot in common.  We can see inspiration all around us, if we only look and open our hearts.

Each Day Is New- WV..My Home Sweet Home

I can’t compare living in WV to another state.  I was born in WV and I have lived here all my life.  My ancestors before me chose rural Lincoln County and my legacy began.

My mother’s maiden name was McClure and our ancestors originated from Ireland.  The first McClure in our line was Richard McClure and he arrived in Culpeper, VA in 1700.  Other McClure’s in the clan soon arrived in Culpeper and headed out to claim their own farms.  These people were wild, brave and adventuresome.

It just blows my mind to realize that the McClure clan traveled by wagon (there were no car’s and few roads) from Culpeper to Yawkey, WV.  This is a long trip, even by car. 

Over a hundred or more years later their legacy lives on in the families that still lives, works and plays in WV.  We have kept our roots in a state of which we are proud.  Yes, we are unique.  We talk different than someone from Illinois, but we shouldn’t apologize.  Our speech is who we are and from where we live.  As West Virginian’s, we have built our homes here, spent our lives in the workforce, established our places of worship and voted for the political figures that lead the state. 

Stand up and be counted as a proud West Virginian.  Pass on your heritage and the great stories of our ancestors to your children and grandchildren.  Pull out those old family pictures and tell the children how their ancestors arrived in West Virginia and how they survived hard times. 

My Home Sweet Home

Each Day Is New- Grandpa McClure Was a Little Boy

      I have a little history on our family. Ireland and Scotland seems to be our origin. Richard McClure born about 1700 in Raphoe, Ulster County, Ireland Died 1774 Culpeper, Virginia is our earliest family in the USA.

     The picture above is the family of William and Emily McClure and their children.  My grandpa, Arch is the little boy on the left in the back row.  This is the first picture of ever saw of grandpa as a child and I have been so excited.

     My mom, Deloris McClure Woodrum and I stayed with grandpa McClure while my dad, Donald was in World War II.  Grandpa was the only dad I knew during those times of war and dearly loved me.  I have nothing but fond memories and loving thoughts of this man…who I forgot was a little boy at one time.

     I just received this picture of week ago and I have gone bonkers looking at it and wondering about the people.  William and Emily McClure had 13 children and as a little girl I can remember most of them. We had McClure Reunions during the summer and most everyone attended.   Of course, the red hair (from Ireland) was scattered through the family.

     From Ireland, to Virginia and then to a rural WV farmland.  It all seems so complex.  They settled in Yawkey, WV and it is 25 miles from Charleston, WV.  Why did they choose such a remote place?  Did they know where they were going when they traveled to the Yawkey, WV area?  Why did they choose a home-site that was a mile up a road and hill?  I would love to be able to have a glimpse or an image of that time and era.  However, all I can do is imagine.

     I noticed the children on the front row are holding a toy or a doll.  I am sure they didn’t have a toy box full and this was probably their only toy.  I wonder if Great Grandma Emily made the dolls?  There were very few stores and they lived about a mile up a hollow in Yawkey, WV. 

     Grandpa William McClure had acres and acres of farmland and with 13 children to feed, everyone had to help with the crops.  The farm was eventually divided and Albert, Arch and Luther either bought or were given many acres for their own farmland.  Grandpa Arch’s farm is now owned by his son James.

     I wonder where all these people slept?  Years ago my mom and I walked up the the old McClure home place and the old house was rather small.  I am so privileged to have had the opportunity to walk through their house years after anyone lived in it.  Mother showed me the room where Grandma Emily died and you could almost feel a presence there.  Mother said Grandma Emily kept her gold coins in a jar in the corner of her bedroom.  The wallpaper had been pretty, but was stained with time and wear.

     Mother told me a story while we were walking through the old farmhouse and it is supposed to be true.  After Grandma Emily died and was buried, some of her grandchildren came to the house and were stealing gold coins, pictures and other belongings.  Well…..they heard something strange and so they say, a ghost appeared.  Those involved in the stealing actually told the story and they were so scared they ask for forgiveness and started going to church.

     My mom had a tall glass fruit compote that belonged to Grandma Emily and before mother died, she gave it to me.  It has a special place in my home.  I hope the ghost of the past doesn’t come looking for it.

     I never personally knew Grandpa William and Emily, but they sure produced a wonderful Grandpa Arch McClure. 

Each Day Is New-

 We have been going through an old trunk and sorting out some family pictures.  The old trunk is full of pictures of those we loved and adored.  Basil and I would pull out some pictures and remember the event or laugh at the fashions. 

I found this picture of my husbands family.  This is the Clinton D. Hudson and Eufa Hudson family of South Charleston, WV.  (left to right children) David, Paul, Ester, Naomi on dad’s lap, Basil on mom’s lap, Annabelle standing and Carter.  A few years later Rachel and Sharon would be added to this family.

This family lived on the Middle Fork of Davis Creek most of their lives.  Paw-Paw Hudson worked at Carbide Chemicals and spent long hours to provide for his family.  Of course, Maw-maw was a stay at home mom until later in her life. 

I wonder how people were able to take care of laundry for such big families.  Most everyone at that time washed clothes by hand or by a wringer washer.   Many country people even had to carry their wash water…..and we think we have it hard.  Can you imagine feeding nine children?

The Hudson family in general were always noted for their musical and singing abilities.  Even to this day, many of these children are play the piano, lead the church choir and sing solo and in groups. 

I married Basil 48 years ago and I became a member of a wonderful family.  I am glad that his parents were Christian examples and taught him to love God. 

I wonder if anyone will find an old picture of us in 30 years and laugh at our silly fashions?  Will our current mode of living not be understood by our grandchildren?  Oh no, what if all our pictures are on a disk and so outdated that non of the new tech can open them?  I had better go to CVS tomorrow and have all the pictures on the disks printed.

Each Day Is New-I Have Been Eating The Frogs

As many of you know, I found a long lost playmate that I knew back in the late 40’s and 50’s.  I had written about “Life In The Coal Camp” and we made a connectionafter almost 60 years.  Well, I didn’t realize Karen was still reading my blog until today.  Karen has been disappointed that I haven’t been keeping up a daily post.  Karen, I dedicate my ramblings today to you.

I am happy to say I am improving on some of my procrastinating.  Yes, I am eating the frog again and taking on those things that get put on the back burner.  I scheduled a check-up with the doctor and had a lot of blood test completed.  I got the results and everything looks good.  Now, why did I procrastinate and wait for months to do this? 

I am really proud of myself….I I made an appointment for a haircut….helped at VBS tonight……making plans for a trip…..getting ready for guest to arrive the end of June…….planning a family picnic.  I still need to procrastinate a little on cleaning out the refrigerator. 

I would write more, but I will tomorrow. )