Monday, May 21, 2012

WIND BENEATH MY WINGS


Spunkier than a teen hyped up on a six pack of  Red Bull and friendlier than a wet Labrador pup this wonderful woman housed more energy in her tiny body than eight cups of coffee.  I once had a principal ask me in an interview who my hero was.  I have to tell ya that this Ozark Farm Chick didn't skip a beat when I answered my Grandma Dow.  What a role model this remarkable woman was in my life.  Born in 1905 she found herself widowed at a young age in an era when a woman's career was bein' a good housewife and raisin' youngens.  'Just the way it was!

Inez Lola Dow, who I simply called 'Ma', buckled down and did what she did best.  She loved. She loved with all her might.  Mom to four left with two bottomless hungry teenagers to feed and a home to finance she began takin' 'welfare' children into her heart and home.  She cared for many babies found in alley trash cans who officials thought didn't have a chance to pull through the night.  Those little souls who were too disfigured or mentally challenged to place anywhere else were brought into her care.  All in all she housed over three hundred of these most precious children.  

Her big heart became known far an wide.  The Albuquerque radio station sang her praises and gifted her with a certificate of appreciation from the city and a record album honoring the love and care this grandma of mine bestowed on these special little lambs.  Her love of children continued to shine through the years.  Connie Chung even did a wonderful tribute for 60 Minutes on my most positive hero.

Ma gently held my hand and guided my steps throughout my life.  From her first visit to the old farmhouse in Stockton, Missouri back when I was knee~high to nothin' to present day, she's been my guidin' light. There's not a day goes by that I don't think of somethin' she said or did.  I found two handwritten notes from her as I was goin' through pictures.  One was written to me on the day I was born, the other was written to me shortly before her death lettin' me know how proud she was to be my grandma.  I do declare, I was the one blessed to the moon and back to have had  her in my life.  In all the time we spent together, this remarkable lady always found the good in everyone and I never, ever  heard her say a bad word about another bein'...'just wouldn't be prudent. Besides, that wasn't her style.

Here's Ma surround by her most valuable  treasures.  She was blessed with two more grandsons and another granddaughter after this was photo was taken.  Pictured  is my older cousin Judy, little Connie, Tommy who passed at the age of 14, my baby sis Donna and yep...I'm the one singin'  OOOoooklahoma showin' off my tonsil~less throat along with my uvula .  Did I tell ya'll my grandma had a ongoin' zest for life that wouldn't quit and was more fun than a barrel full of magic wands?  A true kid at heart this magnificent gal was.

Wherever ya found Ma you'd find fun.  It was on this trip to my childhood farm that my grandma and I decided to bake some peanut butter cookies while Mom did her outside chores.  Now, Ma and I loved peanut butter cookie dough more that a chubby cop loves warm glazed doughnuts.  We had a grand time mixin', bakin' and tastin' when my Mama came in and said, "I thought ya'll were gonna bake cookies".  In the midst of our giggles we handed her the cookie platter adorned with seven very small morsels and answered, "We did!!!"

This was also the visit we gals went to Emporia, Kansas to see Ma's sis.  My grandmother, mom, mom's best friend, my little sis and this thirteen year old Farm Chicklett  piled in the car to make the journey. It was this very excursion these fine ladies sent me into the local Emporia drug store to buy 'em some Ex~Lax and Kaopectate.  Yep folks,  some were constipated and some were sufferin' the runs and they weren't goin' in so they sent me...the gullible obedient one!  The two clerks behind the counter could barely contain themselves when one just had to burst out with..."Ya know young lady, these products treat opposite ailments!"  Meltin' into the floor and turnin' beet red I said, " I know, those women in the car don't know whether there comin' or goin'" and got outta there faster than a jackrabbit on a date!!!
 
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Ma was never too busy to play, I loved that 'bout her.  Here she is playin' in the sand with her toddler great~ grandson (Geek Son)  and my cousin Robert.  Ma's very last visit to the Ponderosa I found her in my family room  turnin'  somersaults to make Geek Son laugh.  She was just that kinda gal.  It was so fittin' that Ma's church's  Kid's Choir sang at her funeral service.  I could truly feel her there......dancin'!
This wonderful song was sang by the likes of Perry Como, Sheena Easton and even Gladys Knight and the Pips but it's best known version is sang by Bette Midler  in the 1988 soundtrack for the movie Beaches. My HERO left this world many years ago but will always live in my heart and remain to be "The Wind Beneath My Wings!!!"

'Miss ya Ma, my hero!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

DAY BY DAY (Two Scoops of Grace With Chuckles on Top..Giveaway and Review)

Have ya'll ever pondered "Can Preachers Have Sex on Sunday" or had to answer questions like this Ozark Farm Chick does here on the Ponderosa like, "Where's The Bull"?  Maybe you've yearned to read 'bout "Cow Chip Classics" or "I Believe in Blabbing"?  Your readin' habits may lean toward violence and adventure stories like "The Hormone Bomber",  "I've Fallen Off My Pedestal and I Refuse to Climb Back Up" or the likes of  the "Dangerous Donuts" that deal with judgement and culture shock with a little udder balm and live bait thrown in.  This is a small sample of the humorous "sweet, funny, reminders of God's heart" Jeanette Levelllie  has in store for ya'll  in her new book, " Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top."
 Folks, I gotta tell ya'll right here and now ya'll should be all over this book like a starvin' hobo on a fresh made country ham sandwich.  I had a blast and a half readin' it!  This rockin' pastor's wife has written from her extremely hilarious life adventures in the form of easy read short stories which are supported by scripture and summed up with the knowledge of biblical points.  Believe me when I say there's not a dry word in the lot.  The seventy two stories can easily be used as a daily devotional or simply a wonderfully funny yet meaningful piece of God's word.  If  "Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top" don't light your fire, your wood is wet!!!
I met this upliftin' beautiful gal over at her blog " On Wings of Mirth and Worth "and fell in love with her inspirational humor and quick wit.  Seems others have too!!!  Heck,  this award~winnin' author is more popular than a slimy juicy night-crawler at a fish hatchery.  Miss Jeanette authors a humor/inspirational column, 'God is Bigger' in the Paris (Illinois not France) Beacon News and is published in Guidepost.  Why, she even has stories in the "Love is a Verb  Devotional" with Gary Chapman (ya gotta love that Gary!).  Not only does she fill her calendar with public speekin', she's written for magazines, greetin' cards and poems for calendars.  Yep, this girl's busier than a one eyed man at a burlesque show!
Oh, did I mention that this gorgeous author's generous as all get out too?  Ya'll can win one of ten free downloads of Jeanette Levellie's debut humor devotional, "Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top," for your very own readers or a $100.00 gift card by sharin' this post link on Facebook, Twitter or your blog.  For each 'like' on Jeanette's Author Page, Two Scoops Book Page and her personal  Facebook page,  follow her on Twitter  and her blog  and she will count each of these acts as another entry.  Please enter as many as you can and pop over to let her know at 'On Wings of Mirth and Worth'.  Sorry, all the links won't allow me in since I don't Facebook or Tweet.  Shoot, I'm just a simple kinda chick... it's just the way I fly!!!

Originally known as the Hi~Fi's  then the Versatiles this smooth soundin' group became The Fifth Dimension toward the latter part of 1966.  I can pick up 'Two Scoops" and "be taught to laugh when I find cow patties in my field 'stead of daisies", "discover the bottomless heart of God" or "grow in the acceptance of myself and others" as I read this delightful devotional each and every  "Day by Day!!!

Ya'll can purchase "Two Scoops of Grace with Sprinkles" on Top at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and CBD.
Check out Scoops book trailer here.
Jeanette's contest ends midnight May 10th and winners will be announced Sunday May 13th.
Good luck ya'll!

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