Tragedy In Connecticu​t

On Friday, December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, shot and killed his mother at their home.  Dressed in black fatigues and a military vest, he then entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut where he opened fire taking the lives of twenty-six people -- twenty of them children between the ages of 5 and 10 years old.  He then took his own life.

Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38

When 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.

Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.

They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.

They were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.

They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.

"Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

"This is heaven." declared a small boy. "We're spending Christmas at God's house."

When what to their wondering eyes did appear,

But Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.

Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.

And in that moment was joy that only heaven can bring

Those children all flew into the arms of their King

And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,

One small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.

And as if He could read all the questions she had

He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."

Then He looked down on earth, the world far below

He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe.

He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,

"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"

"May this country be delivered from the hands of fools,

I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"

Then He and the children stood up without a sound,

"come now my children, let me show you around."

Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran,

All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.

And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,

"In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA

Our sincere thoughts and deepest prayers are with the families and friends left behind to pick up the shattered pieces as they struggle to say goodbye to twenty-six beloved souls until the day they are reunited in Heaven.  May God shine His light in their darkest hours so they may somehow know all is right with their loved ones. 

If Dogs Were Teachers

We would learn important stuff like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them like they've been gone for a year.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride in the car.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.

Let others know when they've invaded your territory.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wiggle your entire body.

No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout...run right back and make friends.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.

Stop when you have had enough.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Enjoy every moment of every day

- Unknown Author(s)

Miss Poison Ivy Is A bITCH

I was one of the unfortunate ones to run into this green lady last week.  Since our meeting she has created havoc in my life!  Actually it took me a few days to realize we had met.

I started itching on both sides and the back of my neck with what looked like little red bug bites.  My first thought was fleas.  I only use natural products on Kirby so my first step was to check him and both cats with a flea comb.  I found nothing at all.  As the "biting" continued I started to think maybe I have bedbugs?  I have been reading about them for a while now, mostly in New York City.  Was that even possible here in Mississippi?  I had always heard children living in the cleanest homes can catch lice so I quickly washed all of my bedding in the hottest water setting of my washing machine with a little bleach added for good measure.  I had no clue as to what to do about my mattress.

By now the bites and itching had spread to my forehead and entire left side of my face.  Then I considered shingles which I had the excruciating pleasure of dealing with last year.  If you have ever had chicken pox then shingles can erupt when a person is under extreme stress.  It still looked more like little bug bites than a rash but since I couldn't locate a source I decided this must be what it is.

By Monday morning my left hand was driving me crazy!  The top of each finger, in between each finger, and my palm was itching so badly I wanted to cut off my hand!  Tiny blisters were popping up all over too.  Instead of heading to work I headed to my doctor's office.  

Poison Ivy was the culprit!  I work in my yard almost all of the time, cutting grass, weeding, planting, mulching.  You name it, I do it.  I wear gloves but working throughout the day I put them on and take them off.  We think I must have come into contact with this lovely vicious green plant when putting out purchased pine straw in my front flower beds.  Putting my hand in and out of my glove just helped to really spread it around and into my hand.

I haven't, and will not, touch another thing in my yard until we return from our vacation which is another story.  The grass needs cutting, I've seen a few weeds I desperately want to pull, and my peonies are in full bloom begging me to cut and bring them indoors.  All will wait until we return this coming Wednesday night.

Anyway, having never encountered Miss Poison Ivy, I thought I should pass along what I discovered worked (finally) for me.  My doctor gave me a double action poison ivy specific shot which would give immediate relief along with a longer lasting medicine.  I also received an expensive over the counter prescription for Betamethasone Valerate Cream.  I further purchased a generic poison ivy wash which I used several times a day.  My face and neck cleared up right away.  My hand, not at all!  Throughout the day and night I would run to the sink and scrub with the wash in the hottest water I could stand, then rub in the cream.  The itching would ease somewhat until full blown a few hours later.

Finally desperate I googled home remedies and cures on the internet.  That's where I found my salvation - DAWN DISH DETERGENT.   I actually keep this product in a lovely decorative bottle on my kitchen sink and use it all the time wearing pretty rubber gloves that lay across the edge of the sink. Eagerly I began scrubbing my hand with it, top, bottom, and in between each finger.  Finally the RELIEF I so desperately had been searching for!  

Research told me that poison ivy deposits an oil called urishol which seeps into the skin for several layers.  The key is to remove the oil which is what the dish detergent does.  I suppose any dish detergent would work but Dawn was the one suggested since it's so good at removing grease from dishwater. BTW - I began purchasing only Dawn dish detergent because I really wanted to support this company's endeavors and success saving the wildlife caught in the oil spill we had recently in the Gulf of Mexico.

I am finally, thank God, on the mend and just in time since we leave for our vacation in the morning. Have you encountered Miss Poison Ivy?  What did you do or use to overcome her nastiness?