Why am I blogging?

My daughter's smile is the lovely one you see above! I love to see people smile! Maybe that is why ...I like to capture smiles or snapshots of things that make others smile with my camera. I know we can't go through every minute of life with a smile but I hope that even when life is hard we can have a peace that others will notice and desire. My blog initially started as a way to honor my mom and her great outlook on life. She died in May 2010 from cancer. I don't think I can ever due justice to her life but I hope I can live my life in a way that would make her proud. The one other great privilege I have had is to be Carol Hensley Singletary's mother. She was our only child and she died suddenly on Feb .27, 2013. She was 19 years old. Her zest for life, her smile and her loving personna is missed by many, but none more than by her husband of just 6 months, Cooper. We carry on by grace and faith in God, and will look for any means to smile while we are left here on this earth for some reason by God. What I would give just to see the beautiful smile of my mom and daughter again! I know without a doubt I will someday, but until then I am going to try and praise my God and King in the life's good days and through life's pains. And i'm sharing here ...in hopes that you will smile with me. judy!

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Dusting off the digital cover of my e- albums

This blog has started out several times and has had several themes that did not make the 'cut'.

Recently I have been trying to organize better some 17,000 pics I have;  here, there, and everywhere! You could say I've been 'dustin off' some of my photo albums...electronically.
my mom--isn' t she so pretty?

This post started when I saw this sweet picture of my mom taken in 2008 on a plane to New Jersey to visit a friend with Parkinson's and her family.  And then there is another picture or two that I just wanted to show you and think back on the fond memories they  bring to mind.

Just the fact that my mom got on that plane was a miracle. She did it for just for me.  I know this because she was so afraid of planes .  I teased her when I asked her about going with me on the plan,  that if we died, at least we would die together and get to see Jesus together.  I am happy to see we both made it there and back in one piece. I figured that mom would be very nervous on her first plane ride, but she did great.  Even weathered through some bad turbulence on the way home.  When she got off the plane in Tennessee she said, "OK, that was my first and last time on a plane, but it wasn't too bad."

While we were in New Jersey, she was a tropper.  Even though Annie and I both have Parkinsons's Disease ,we were on the go.  And as we went a mile-a-minute,  we tried to show mom as much as we could of her newly found 'Jerzee family's favorite places.  We wore her out trying to show her so many things.

Mary, mom, Annie, me.....in  NEW jERZEEEE
And she really loved hanging out with Annie's family.  A picture with me and my mom and Annie and hers is really special to me.  Very remarkable moms if I do say so myself!!! And I think we even got my mom to meet Joe's mom as well (Joe is Annie's husband).






One of mom's fav flavs
Just as that picture brought back memories of mom, so does seeing a box of Banana popsicles.  Not that mom ate them every day, she didn't; but I cannot ever remember her eating another flavor of popsicles.  If you had some other flavors and no banana, she would just quint up her noise at the suggestion of other flavors and kindly say "No, thank you."  Isn't it weird how you brain lets you recall some funny things, and funny associations?  Every time I hear "Ivory Soap" I can smell it and it always makes me think of my mom's mom whom we referred to as "Mammaw".  The only thing with the memory of Mammaw and Ivory Soap is how really good she used to wash my ears and i could not stand that!!!!


The last memory I will share as I dusted off some of my digital albums  is this one below.  It was a picture I took of my daughter, Carol, Mom, and my sister Karen.   I don't know where Joey was --it was rare that he was not with us on most trips.  This one was to Savannah, GA.  I absolutely loved any 'girl times'  we got to share.  Now (as of Mar 2016)  just Karen and I have 'girl time."  When we get a chance to do something, little or big, it is good.  You see in 2002 my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer.  She had some good years and some bad. and finally Jesus called her home on May 20, 2010. Carol got to know the greatest Mammaw in the world for 17 years.  And then suddenly, at the age f 19, Carol was called to spend the rest of her days in heaven on Feb. 27, 2013.  She is with  Mom and others who claim the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and although I miss them both so much, I cannot think that they are having the time of their lives and would think each of us crazy for wishing them to give up Heaven just to hang out with us.

Carol Mom Karen in Savannah GA
Wow, just a few pages from my digital album, but what amazing  memories that flood my heart and mind of special people God blessed into my  life to make it incredible!  I hope if you can you can look back and have special memories and smile.  Some memories will  be of those gone ahead but their impact on us cannot be denied.  They helped shape us and mold into who we are.   I know I am better because He blessed my life with many more than you have seen here.  And i am grateful for all of them and more.

I can't wait to see them in heaven again some day.
judy
mar 30, 2016