HURRICANES & MORE

By OLIVENE GODFREY

The remnants of Tropical Storm Fay brought a much needed soaking rain to the drought stricken state of Georgia last week. Here at our house, we had five inches of rain. While the storm brought severe weather to parts of the state, our region was spared any damage and had just the welcomed rain that was an answer to our prayers.

As I write this, Hurricane Gustav appears to be taking a direct aim at New Orleans. Remembering Hurricane Katrina, Gulf Coast residents were ordered to evacuate this weekend and according to news stories, they are leaving in droves. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Gulf residents.

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I enjoyed Ralph Emory's interview last week with Mickey Gilley on RFD-TV. As I watched the program, I recalled a brief interview I had with Gilley back in the 1970s after a show. He was so nice and friendly, I have remained a fan of his music and was glad to hear an update on his life.

I want to remember to tune in to Ralph Emory's show in a week or so when country artist, George Jones, and his daughter with the late Tammy Wynette, Georgette' will be the guests.

I heard country singer, Jeannie Seely, sing her big record, "Don't Touch Me" on a TV music channel last night and I remembered a short interview following an outdoor show on a very hot summer day. I asked if she ever grew tired of singing,"Don't Touch Me" and she said she didn't as the song had been so good too her. She was nice and friendly even in the hot, humid weather which was obviously bothering her.

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Lately, I have been feeling discouraged because I have had to give up so many things that I used to take for granted before growing old. Also, I know I'm grasping for straws when I continue to try new treatments for my Irritable Bowel syndrome in the hope my health will improve. It's also depressing to tire so easily and need so many rest breaks during the day.
I try not to feel self-pity and most of the time I am able to be cheerful but I do wonder if I will ever feel really well again.

See you next time.

REMEMBERING DADDY'S MODEL A FORD & HIS FUN-LOVING MOM & MORE
By OLIVENE GODFREY
Son Barry and I were discussing early cars and I remembered my Daddy's Model A Ford. I was very young and the memory is only a flash. A more vivid memory is when Daddy took Mother and the twins and me for a ride in the car. He must have had a windfall as we all wore new outfits. Mine was a short white flannel pleated skirt and white sweater. Then, I remember that Daddy's parents lived on their large farm in Middle Tennessee
and shortly after he bought the car, he drove us from our Chattanooga home to the farm. When we arrived, his parents and two spinster sisters greeted us warmly and then they inspected the car. Daddy asked if his fun loving little mother would like to go for a ride and she accepted his invitation.
I don't remember who else went along but I went with them. When we were settled in the car, Daddy started the car and in a few minutes Grandma called out loudly, "Let 'er rip!" and we roared away from the farm.

I have many happy memories of my little Grandma. Sometimes she would take we kids to the big barn and we would go up in the loft and tumble in the hay. Later, when I was about ten,I would often pretend I was a news reporter and would interview Grandma in the porch swing. She would give me comical answers and we would collapse with laughter. But, I digress.

But, back to the discussion I was having with Barry. He said I had lived through the time when cars and radio were in their infancy. I was also around for the beginning of radio, television, computers, and the Internet and cell phones.
I agreed and told him that my parents married in 1926 and Mother's brother, Alvin, rented a radio that was played at the reception. And I remember when we would gather around the radio at night to listen to favorite programs. Mother listened to her"soaps" during the day and Daddy liked to tune in to the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday nights. Then, my late husband, Ralph, and I bought our first television and became popular with friends stopping by to watch the TV.

Barry has had computers and TV sets for years and we all take cell phones for granted. I'm glad to be alive during this exciting time of technology.

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My trusty quad cane has saved me from a bad fall again. Now, I 'm a creature of habit and dislike having my routines messed up. But, I awoke that morning and realized I had overslept.
Since I'm retired I can get up in the mornings when I please. But I like to get up the same time each morning. On this day, I jumped out of bed like a youngster instead of rising slowly as I usually do. I dashed around and was soon in the kitchen and Barry was about to leave to go to work. I was talking to him when I suddenly lost my balance and went staggering across the room. I kept my cane tightly in my hand as I careened into the dining room and grabbed the back of a chair which finally halted my "almost fall." As you can imagine, I was shaken and said a thank you to God.

See you next time.

SON BARRY'S HOME IMPROVEMENT JOBS IN OUR ALREADY NICE KITCHEN MAKE IT EVEN NICER


By OLIVENE GODFREY
Recently, son Barry did some home improvement jobs in our already nice kitchen which have made it even nicer. The job he had put off for a long time was sanding the top of our butcher block wooden work island again. My late husband, Ralph, made the work island for me as a Christmas gift about 25 years ago. It has been in almost constant use since then and the top needed to be sanded again.

Barry sanded the work island top enough that the natural grain was enhanced but he purposely didn't make the top too smooth.
He said the imperfections in the wooden top added to the work island's character. Many visitors to our kitchen have thought the work island was an antique. When Barry finished the sanding, he oiled down the wood and it looks very nice now.

Our kitchen holds many happy memories for Barry and me. For years, Ralph cooked a hearty breakfast in the kitchen on Sunday mornings. He was especially proud of his hash brown potatoes and pancakes and rightly so as they were delicious. Barry won't even try to cook those foods as he said he couldn't compare with "Pa's cooking of them". Like many good cooks, Ralph made an awful mess in the kitchen while cooking. And I was the one who spent a great deal of time cleaning up the kitchen on Sunday mornings.

After Ralph retired and before he became ill,he had a good vegetable garden every year and often fried squash and okra in the kitchen for our suppers. Like Ralph, Barry can cook and he says he knows enough about cooking to keep from starving if he lived alone. Barry prepares our meats, chicken breast and fish on our indoor electric grill and is in change of the charcoal outdoor grill.

I have never been a great cook but my cooking pleased Ralph and still does Barry. And, they often complimented me on a good meal, especially holiday dinners. But, Ralph, and sometimes Barry, let me know when they didn't like a food I had prepared for a meal. I told Ralph one day he had hurt my feelings about a meal. He said if he had let me continue cooking the food in that way that I wouldn't know that it didn't please them.
I guess he had a point.

I have been under the weather for several days and didn't go out any this past weekend. I hope I will soon feel well.

See you next time.

TRYING HOT NEW IBS TREATMENT & THOUGHTS ON ASTROLOGY

By OLIVENE GODFREY

Last week, I saw my family doctor for my three month check-up. It so happened that I was suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) on that day. The doctor suggested a trial of wheat free diet, gluten for a month and pro-biotic daily. You may recall that I told you recently of my intention of trying the wheat gluten detection test but I decided to wait until I consulted with my doctor. I found out the newest hot treatment for IBS is pro-biotics
which replaces bad bacteria with good bacteria and helps digestion and helps strengthen immune system and also reduces inflammation in colon. You can buy probiotics over the counter at grocery or vitamin stores in capsules, tablets, gelcap liquid and in cultured yogurt products.

Not all IBS patients are helped with this treatment but new studies show they do no harm. And they have the potential to be an effective first-line therapy for IBS and other bowel symptoms in a safe manner. My doctor gave me a month's supply of Amitiza capsules to take when constipated.

So, the past few days have been a big change for me. I love all forms of bread and other wheat foods which are taboo on the diet. The doctor told me to eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Also, many commercially processed foods contain gluten so I don't know if I will be able to stay on the diet.

I hadn't been out of the house except to go to the doctor for several weeks. So, this past Sunday, Barry drove us to Dalton for an early lunch at Ryan's and then we went to the mall for haircuts. The weather was nice, warm, bright sunshine with a balmy breeze and a touch of fall in the air. Unfortunately, this is the beginning of the ragweed allergies and Barry and I both were suffering from the affects of it that night.

Many people seem to be interested in astrology. While logic tells me the whole thing's unscientific, I must confess I find the subject fascinating. I read everything I come across about my Zodiac sign and have a Zodiac wheel on my den wall. Like some other people, I accept the things I like and reject the parts I don't. Astrology magazines and articles in other publications often list personality traits of the 12 Zodiac signs. Some of these are uncanny in their accuracy. I'm almost convinced that in spite of logic that the time of year a person is born does have some influence on personality. But, I'm afraid I can't take the astrology forecast seriously.

See you next time.

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER EVOKE RANDOM THOUGHTS

By OLIVENE GODFREY

Dog Days are hot, sticky summer days. The name dog days originated by the ancient Greeks when the dog star, Sirius,
rose with the sun, a period of about 40 days in early July and ending near the mid August. The rising of Sirius doesn't actually affect the weather. But, the middle part of the 40 day period happens to occur at the same time as most of the uncomfortably hot days.

Here in Northwest Georgia the hot weather is oppressive now. And, to make matters worse, chiggers are all over our yard.
They are the larva of a parasitic mite that causes severe itching. Son Barry says he gets one or more every time he goes outside. He has already had a bad case of poison ivy and he bought some stuff at a hardware store and destroyed the ivy for this year at least.

I was thinking yesterday of my childhood summers during the Dog Days and I don't remember being too hot. It was a wonderful time for me and my sisters. We went barefoot and got bee stings from the clover in the yard most every day. But, that was a mere nuisance. Besides the greenery and flowers, there were fun times, playing the long days. Then, at night we caught lightning bugs in glass fruit jars. But, I was a funny, little girl and during the play time, I would sometimes want to be alone. At those times, I would disappear into a sage grass field on our land. I would lay down in the tall grass and gaze at the fluffy white clouds and daydream about my future.

Looking back now, I realize I had an enchanted, innocent childhood. Too soon I grew up and went out in the real world.
I have had my ups and downs during my 80 years and have my share of regrets. But, all in all, it's been a good life.
I've always asked God not to give me more than I can bear. There have been moments of despair when I didn't think I could keep going but from somewhere I found the strength to survive.
Despite health problems and painful times, I still love life and hope to be here on earth a while longer, Lord willing.
And I cherish happy times now and don't take them for granted.

See you next time.