Month: October 2022

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Restoration

Gravestones

I grew up going to cemetery “Decoration Days” with my parents to clean and decorate the graves of loved ones each spring. It is a time to pause and remember – to pay honor to family members we have lost.

Most of my grandparents, great grandparents, and even great-great grandparents are buried within 35 miles of where I was born. I’ve always thought that was kinda cool. In one cemetery, so many of my relatives are buried there that I have lost count. Many of the gravestones are old and have been unreadable for many, many years. When I was a child, I would trace my fingers in the indentions in the stones trying to decipher the names and the dates.

During the past few years, I have watched videos of individuals who safely cleaned gravestones. They peaked my interest – and I wanted to give it a try. First and foremost, I wanted to be sure that I knew what I was doing so that I wouldn’t cause damage. After all, some of these tombstones are over 100 years old!

One year ago this month, I contacted a Facebook friend, Terry Sanders, who had recently posted about this process and he generously provided great information and advice. I purchased my supplies and headed out to get to work.

The gravestones I chose had many decades of buildup, so I knew that multiple trips would probably be required – and I was correct. I was happy to find that overall it is a pretty simple process – but what an absolutely amazing difference it made! I plan to go back next spring and expect to see even greater improvements then, but I am so excited to show you all the results!

Before #1
gravestone
After #1
gravestone
Before #2
gravestone
After #2
gravestone
Before #3
gravestone
After #3
gravestone
Before #4
gravestone
After #4
gravestone
Before #5
gravestone
After $6

I really enjoyed this project! It was a way to honor past generations of my family, and it restored these beautiful monuments much closer to their original state. If you’re interested in the process and products I used, keep reading!

Products and Supplies Needed:  gloves, mask, soft toothbrush, and Wet and Forget (comes in several options – the concentrate can be cheaper, but the “Wet and Forget Outdoor Ready to Use comes premixed with its own sprayer.  Both are good choices based on your preference!)

Process

  1. Choose a day that’s cool (below 80 degrees F is best), cloudy, or overcast to slow product evaporation.
  2. Avoid using on windy days to assure the best surface coverage.
  3. Wipe the surface gently but thoroughly with a dry, soft cloth to remove any dust or debris.  For best results, surfaces should be clean and completely dry.
  4. Wearing gloves, long sleeves, goggles or safety glasses, and a mask (to avoid skin or lung contact with chemicals), spray to saturate the surface thoroughly.
  5. That’s it!  No rinsing needed.  Leave it and let it work.
  6. I went back in (approximately) six weeks and applied more product.  Then, I checked back a couple of months later and used a SOFT toothbrush to gently remove some remaining algae.  Be very careful – the stones can be easily scratched.

For additional information, check out the Wet and Forget website. 

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Maplewood

As so many people traverse the countrysides this month searching excitedly for the brilliant colors of autumn, it joyfully reminds each of us that hope, joy, and wonder still abound….that despite all of the stresses and demands of daily life – we continue to reach out, to look for the beauty and blessings surrounding us every day, to celebrate the joys and wonder of our world. These blessings are ours to be enjoyed freely.  We must only seek them out and celebrate them!  

If you live in Arkansas or southwest Missouri, making the drive to Maplewood Cemetery in Harrison, Arkansas is time well spent each autumn. A well-known Arkansas treasure, the quiet, always beautiful cemetery is crowded and busy during the fall as people from miles around visit to see the beautiful foliage. The colors are beautiful right now, so if you haven’t visited before, this is a good time to head to Harrison. The images here were taken at Maplewood this week.  If you can’t visit, please “walk” through the beauty here by viewing these photos.  I so very much hope you enjoy them!

If you would like to learn more about Maplewood Cemetery, click here to read an interesting online article by Deb Peterson about the history of this incredibly beautiful place!  I was delighted to find out that the beauty of Maplewood was due to the efforts of dedicated ladies in the 1920’s with foresight and vision we all benefit from today.  What a lovely gift to all of us! What a lovely legacy!

Maplewood Cemetery
Maplewood Cemetery
Maplewood Cemetery
Maplewood Cemetery
Maplewood Cemetery
Maplewood Cemetery
Maplewood Cemetery
Maplewood Cemetery
Maplewood Cemetery
Maplewood Cemetery
Maplewood Cemetery
Maplewood Cemetery
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The Blessings of a Godly Mother

I’ve heard the story of my birth for as long as I can remember…not that it was all that remarkable or out of the ordinary…it was just that my Mother liked telling the story and I loved hearing it. I was expected to make my appearance toward the end of April, 1967. On the afternoon of Friday March 31st, Mother drove to town for a checkup at the doctor’s office, a hair appointment at the beauty shop, and a few other errands. However, when Dr. Magie examined her, he said she needed to head on over to the hospital immediately because she was about to have her baby. Mother laughed, thinking he was joking. After all, I wasn’t expected for 3 more weeks – she had felt no labor pains – he was scheduled to go out of town for a short hunting trip (planned so he could be back for my birth), and she was headed to the beauty shop! She truly believed he was kidding with her. In fact, she told him she had a hair appointment and asked if it would be all right if she got her hair fixed and then head to the hospital. He assured her she needed to go straight there – so she called Daddy and Mam-ma to come join her, then settled in nervously and excitedly to wait. Dr. Magie was right – I was born just after 4:00 am the next morning, an April Fool’s baby who fooled her family by arriving a few weeks early.

As a little girl, I always smiled a big smile when Mother told me this story. I loved thinking I had played a clever trick on my family with my surprise arrival.

The hospital where I was born closed shortly after my birth when a new hospital was built across town. The beautiful old building sat up on a hill empty and abandoned for years. One day when I was around 8 years old, Mother drove me up that hill and around to the back of the deserted building. She said she wanted to show me something. We got out of the car and had walked only a few steps when Mother pointed up to the unique round balcony on the 3rd floor. “I walked out on that balcony the night before you were born and stood for the longest time praying over your life”, Mother said. “I just wanted you to know that – that I prayed earnestly for you before you were even here.”

Photo credit: Betty Patterson (Thank you, Betty.)

Even as a child, I was humbled by what she said – it seemed like such an important thing to me that day….and it still does. Every time I remember her words, I feel so honored, so blessed by her gift.

I just did the math – I have been on this earth a total of 20,290 days since my April 1 birth all those years ago – and I feel absolutely and 100% completely confident that my Mother has prayed for me on every single one of those days. What an amazing blessing!!!

So, my precious mother prayed for me before I was born and every day since then. I have never lived one single day on this earth without being covered by her prayers. Not one single day. What a difference, what an impact this has had on my life.

It made me thoughtful recently, thinking how I would miss those prayers someday when she is no longer with me…..

…but several weeks ago, Mother was talking to me and thanking me for helping her with some things. “I pray about your future”, she said, “and I’ve prayed that when you get older and perhaps need help, that there will be someone there to help you like you’ve helped me.”

She has prayed for my future! Those thousands of prayers have included specific, thoughtful petitions regarding challenges we all face in this life.

I firmly believe our wonderful, loving Heavenly Father hears our prayers – and I am so grateful that He does. I also couldn’t be more humbled or thankful for the prayers of a Godly mother, devotedly approaching the King of Kings on my behalf.

Thank you, Mother. I love you so very much. I am forever grateful.

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The Incredible Privilege

I am continually amazed and grateful for the privilege of a relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Reading in the Old Testament reminds me that, in order to receive forgiveness or make requests to God, people had to gather sacrifices, bring those sacrifices to the priests and then present their sins, their requests, etc. to God through that priest…..It was quite an effort and had to be done routinely.

BUT, because of Jesus’ loving sacrifice, we don’t have to do all of that! WE CAN SPEAK TO GOD DIRECTLY, ANY TIME WE WANT – AND HE HEARS US! We can ask for forgiveness for mistakes we have made, we can make our requests, we can ask Him questions, we can even talk to Him about our day. Think about that!!! Wow!!!

Often when I’m busy, I am tempted to neglect my prayer life….then I remember the unbelievable, overwhelmingly incredible privilege it is to pray…..and it helps me remember what a priority prayer is…

We are blessed to have the opportunity of relationship with Christ.

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Glimpses of Excellence – A Beautiful Bloom

Hospitals are unique places – in both positive and negative ways.  I’ve spent a lot of time in hospitals the past couple of years due to an ongoing family medical situation and those experiences have given me so many Glimpses of Excellence to share…. Here’s one of them..

One afternoon recently, I stepped into a hospital elevator and smiled at the young woman inside.  She seemed quiet, pleasant, and….tired.  I saw on her badge that she worked for the hospital food service, pushing a loaded warmer cart to deliver meals to hundreds of patients – then returning afterwards to their rooms to pick up all the empty trays and dishes.  I thought about how tired she must be at the end of her work day and wondered how many steps registered routinely on her FitBit.

“You have a hard job”, I commented.   “Oh no, I have an easy job.” she said quickly, smiling sweetly….then her smile slowly faded and she became visibly thoughtful.  “Well, actually sometimes it’s really hard going into some of those rooms”, she said quietly.  

I pondered her words for the rest of the day….realizing how very hard that could be…..  Her quiet comment made me thoughtful. I’m often a tiny bit nervous walking into a room where strangers are present.  I might even pause, collect myself, and take a breath before opening the door. This young lady not only has to brace herself to walk into a room full of strangers over and over every day….   She faces much greater difficulties – because she is walking into rooms where people are very sick,  perhaps dying, some all alone with no family or friends…. It would be a difficult thing to face….but she does it over and over every single day.

It also made me think about Irene.  Irene and her sister Miss. B clean rooms on the hospital wing where my mother was a patient for many weeks this year.  Irene is a rare gem, a bright glimpse of excellence, who faithfully does her job day after day, facing the same challenges as the young lady I met in the elevator. She is a tiny little thing with a bright smile and a big voice. She does her job well, cleaning with diligence and dedication – noticing details and always doing her best. She doesn’t just mop the floor – she scrubs it clean. That hospital room always felt so much better when she was finished – cleaner, brighter, and even more hopeful and cheerful.

That, in itself, is a wonderful example of excellence – but Irene always does so much more. First of all, she diligently makes it a point to learn the patient’s names, as well as family members who stay with them.  That’s no small task!  She learned not only my Mother’s name, but mine, our friends, and our family members who visited as well! Irene greeted us with sincere warmth each time she saw us. Every single day when she entered Mother’s hospital room, she would enthusiastically exclaim,  “Hello, Mrs. Jean!  How are you today?” with her beautiful accent and a broad smile on her face.  She would greet me as well (by name!) and would remember details of past conversations, following up on discussions, sharing her own life, and showing  genuine interest in and concern for both of us. We looked forward to her visits every day.

 There is an old saying I love that says to “bloom where you are planted”. Irene is definitely blooming – and like all beautiful flowers she is brightening the lives of many, providing beauty, encouragement, strength, and joy.

We should all try to do the same.

Thank you, Irene.  I am very grateful for the care you showed and the encouragement you provided.  I will never forget you.