So, I've decided to start journaling again. Not sure why, but  just felt like it I guess. What a ride it has been and continues to be. Gary has felt better the last few months than he has in years. He's back to doing his photography. Some days he goes out during the day while I work. Other days we go together. WOW, I have learned so much from him.

My pride gets the best of me sometimes since I've been taking pictures for more than 30 years even though I've had no professional training like Gary has. But he has taught me so much about lighting, cropping, correcting, positioning and on, and on, and on. We both like different things. I love nature, flowers, birds, animals of all kinds, old abandoned things and industrial sites and artsy, fartsy stuff. 🤣 He likes old buildings, barns and things like that. But He is sooooo good. He sees pictures in the most obvious places that I really have to work for. It's like second nature to him, a gift.

 Truth be told, we are both a bit competitive. We are both human and like to be recognized for our work, and I often don't accept his constructive criticism very graciously. I'm not half-bad, but my pictures will never be as good as his and I continue to learn. 😊 

Gary recently started his own Facebook group, Old Barn, Homes, Churches, Stores and Country Images. There, he shares his photography and provides a place for others to share theirs.  It's wonderful to see him enjoy life again. Praise YOU LORD!!!!! YOU DID THIS.

I'm on my 16th year working from home and am blessed to have the same manager the entire time through 3 different companies. That's a God story for a different day.

Over the past 5 years, we've had wonderful blessings and a few bumps in the road, including COVID. But, the worst was losing Patricia to pancreatic cancer. She came back into our lives when Gary battled the osteomyelitis in 2018. Only 2 years later, in September 2020 she was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. She died only 2 months later. 

I'm so thankful that God used Brenda Hitt to bring her back into our lives. We had 2 years with her filled with laughter and fun and lots of love. It was hard to watch her suffer in so much pain and the sadness as she knew she was dying. I lost a friend, and Gary lost the one sister that mean the most to him. He has another sister, but they remain estranged as does he and his dad. The emotional baggage is just too heavy and the pain too hard for all of them, so those relationships have fallen away. God can still heal them. They just have to be willing.

Our oldest granddaughter is married with a little boy who is 10 months old. We've never gotten to meet him and we haven't seen Savannah for more than a year now. My heart breaks and I don't understand why her husband convinced her to leave all of her family. But again God knows, and He still has a plan. Sometimes those plans mean we have to suffer here so that good can come. My suffering and heartache is not always about me. Sometimes He's just working through that. But I know, that I know, that I know that GOD IS GOOD, HIS MERCY IS EVERLASTING and HE LOVES ME!!! His will be done.

Steven finished high school last year and Samantha graduates in 19 days. They are both still at home, but our first grands have all grown up. Sam has been in band since middle school and plans to follow in her dad's footsteps and become an industrial electrician. She has the determination to do just that. Steven is working oh his plans and he will figure it out. He has such a loving and caring nature and he loves children. God has a plan for both of them. They are both precious and so loved and we are truly blessed. 

Logan works in Oak Ridge and stays there through the week in his camper. God has blessed him and he is a wonderful man. I am so very proud of him.  He is loving and so faithful and loyal to his family and friends. Autumn is home with the kids for now since it's Sam's  senior year. She  goes up occasionally to spend the week with him. I am thankful for the love they share. It is so evident how much they love each other. My prayer is that they will find a church home and be rooted there. 

Andrea, Jeremy, and Hudson still live in Lynchburg and Abby is with her other grandmother, Kelli. Huddy loves to come visit us. We recently made brownies together, the way I used to cook with the girls. We haven't Abby in more than a year. Mental health and ADHD issues have taken her from our reach and the grandmother will not allow her to visit us. These issues are so very hard for families. It's been a journey for Abby and hopefully she is healing. The seeds God planted when she went to kids choir with me on Wednesday nights were not sown in vain. God will use them. HE IS ABLE!!

Lord, my prayer is that you will restore our complete family once again.

So to today.... Gary doesn't feel well right now; nothing major I hope. But he had an accident a couple weeks ago while smoking pork chops for supper. The large (commercial) smoker lid fell on his right arm and peeled about 2 inches of the top layer of skin away. It looked horrible. His skin is so thin and bruises so easily. It may be from the iron-deficiency anemia he has from his chronic kidney disease. It is healing though and will be ok.

A couple days after the accident, he went to the Urgent Team (UT) and they gave him Keflex for infection. Two days later he developed a sinus and chest cold. Back to UT on Wednesday the 26th and they gave him a dexamethasone (snot shot) and told him to keep up the antibiotics. If you don't know, dexamethasone is a steroid, and it kept him up all night, literally. He finally laid down about 8 a.m. as I was going to my office to work.

Finally on Friday afternoon, he felt well enough to ride in the Miata and take pictures. We spent the afternoon driving through Warren County, through farmlands in Morrison and the rolling hills of McMinnville. Thank you Lord for such a beautiful day.  Yesterday, he woke with a horrible headache and was in bed all day and still in bed today. I'm hoping it is just a headache from having no caffeine. We will see. Tummy issues for me, so I didn't attend service today. Hopefully, I'll be able to go to our 5th Sunday fellowship tonight.

A week from today, we have a surprise party planned for my mom's 80th birthday. We're hoping her church family from Orange Hill Congregational Methodist and Mt. Calvary Apostolic Churches will be there. Mom has a wonderful testimony of faithfulness to the Lord and so deserving of honor.  She and dad celebrated 64 years together on April 25. They've weathered a lot of storms as well, including the loss of my oldest sister Joy in 2012. But God has kept them and they are both doing well for their ages. Dad was 81 on April 20. 

I guess that's enough for now. I didn't set out to write a book today. :) But, someday, maybe "Down the Greentown Road," will be come a reality. Till then, keep praising the only one worthy of praise, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Keep our family in your prayers. We are not unlike so many other families that satan is trying to rob. He will not win. We have the ULTIMATE WARRIOR on our side. To God be all Glory!!!!!