BY OLIVENE GODFREY

THINKING ABOUT THE "PINK STUFF" & CHILDHOOD MEMORIES & EARLY YEARS OF MARRIAGE & IN PRAISE OF CHOCOLATE
I had a bad IBS attack this past weekend and son Barry gave me a dose of "the pink stuff" and it saved the day for me. And, I remembered when my late mother kept Pepto Bismol on hand for me when my "nervous stomach" acted up.

Looking back, I also remembered when my sisters and I returned home from school in the afternoon, Mother always had snacks waiting for us. A favorite was homemade chocolate fudge pieces between two saltine crackers. Some days we had apples and oranges waiting for us and other healthy snacks.

I also remembered when I was a student in a school home economic class and learned how to make chocolate fudge and Brownies. Mother never taught my sisters and me to cook. And we did have to wash and dry dishes after supper meals and we fussed about that. Barry says we were spoiled rotten and I guess he is right. And I think my late husband, Ralph, agreed with him.
Ralph gave me a ten dollar bill when we "set up housekeeping" and told me to buy groceries for the week in 1947 I. had no idea what to buy. But, Ralph was understanding and we learned to buy groceries and cook together. We couldn't afford to eat out and there were only a few restaurants in Dalton, Georgia, at that time. So, we had to prepare our own meals. Somehow, we survived those early years and had been married 55 years when he died in 2002.

An article in USA WEEKEND October 15-17, 2010, says to go ahead and eat chocolate with no guilt necessary as it contains substances that can improve mood and brain function. Being a chocolate lover since childhood, I found it interesting that the delicious treat can also help men live longer and contains antioxidants that can reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer and other ailments.

See you next time.

FALL WEATHER--AT LAST & MANY MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS & TWO UNEXPECTED TELEPHONE CALLS

By OLIVENE GODFREY

Fall weather is here in Northwest Georgia--at last. We had a long, hot summer and the cold crispness and beauty of autumn is most welcomed. But, it's difficult for me to enjoy the beauty of the season as I dread the cold, bleak winter that follows which often brings ice and sometimes snow. Last night, the Chattanooga weather people forecast a frost advisory for our area. Barry and a friend had eaten lunch at a famous barbecue in Chattanooga and had spent the afternoon browsing in stores up there. They were playing their guitars in Barry's media room when the TV news was on and I got on the intercom and told Barry about the frost warning. He dashed out to the garage and using his large wheelbarrow transported the house plants to the garage. He placed the plants on a table near a window where the sun streams in during winter months. The plants are still so pretty and we feel sad they aren't still on the patio.

All summer, I had one or two medical appointments almost every week. Barry had to take time off from work to drive me to the appointments in Dalton, Calhoun and a few in Chatsworth. Somehow, this week I have no appointments and Barry and I are both tired. I have neglected some of my household chores and Barry has somehow been able to do most of the work here and still work long hours at his shop. I have three more appointments
coming up next week and then I hope we can take a long break from them.

I had two unexpected telephone calls last week. The first call was from my dear friend, Ruth, a former newspaper colleague. She has been ill and thanked me for sending her a plant and a few cards. It was good to hear Ruth's voice and I pray that she will continue to feel better.

The second call evoked both happy and sad emotions within me. My late husband's sister, Agnes,who lives in Northeast Georgia,
called to exchange greetings and sad news. We caught up on each other's news and our ailments and we both have hearing aids now and we compared them.

But, her purpose of the call was to tell me that our sister in-law, Joyce, is very ill and her prognosis isn't good. Joyce has always been a kind, loving person. And, I think to know Joyce is to love her. I pray for her and her family during this most difficult time.

See you next time.

AUNT TAUGHT ME TO MULTIPLY & ACTS OF LOVE ETCHED IN MEMORIES OF CHILDREN

By OLIVENE GODFREY

It takes just a whiff of memory to take us back to another time....

I loved my late Aunt Esther for many reasons but I rarely think of her without thinking of the multiplication table. Not having an aptitude for math anyway, I don't think I would have ever learned to multiply without her help. Being a school teacher and proficient in math, as all of my daddy's family were, I think Aunt Esther was horrified that I was so dumb in arithmetic. Nevertheless, she decided I was going to learn to multiply. And every time I saw her, which was often in those days, she would drill me. She promised to give me a gift when I learned the table.

Finally, the BIG DAY arrived. I was able to prove to her satisfaction that I did know how to multiply. And, she presented me with the best gift she could have--a book. I still have the book, now a tattered copy of "Heidi."

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I've often thought my late parents, and others like them, deserved special awards for sitting through countless piano recitals. With four daughters, all who "took music lessons", Mother and Daddy surely attended a record number of recitals.

I've written before about the time when Daddy seriously burned a hand shortly before one of my piano recitals. Yet, he sat though that recital, until the final chord sounded, before seeking medical attention.

My mother who was an accomplished seamstress made pretty dresses for my sisters and me to wear at our recitals. And she made sure we practiced until we had our piano recital music down pat.Most parents are probably surprised to learn about the "little acts" of love that remain etched in the memories of their children. I'm sure if you whose parents are still living reminded them of the acts they would be touched.

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I am still enjoying my new hearing aids but I have a few problems. I will discuss them with the Audiologist in a few days at the hearing and speech center in Dalton. Son Barry told me this week that I didn't realize just how bad my hearing problem was before I got the new aids. He said I talked loud in public places and at home. Now, he says, I am my old self with the soft spoken speech again.

See you next time.

TODAY I HEARD THE BIRDS SINGING IN THE YARD ... AND THIS AND MORE CAME ABOUT BECAUSE OF THE SMART HEARING AIDS IN MY EARS

By Olivene Godfrey

Today I heard the birds singing in the yard. And I heard all the little sounds in our house, and son Barry's voice clearly speaking to me, and enjoying music on the stereo and T.V. And this all came about because of the smart hearing aids in my ears.

As the audiologist explained to us, mostly to Barry who understands the technical stuff, that the modern sophisticated tiny computers inside the hearing aids are customized and programmed for each client. And Barry told me during the drive home from the hearing center, he understands now why the hearing aids are so expensive.

The hearing aid "user manual" says to give yourself time to become accustomed to your new hearing aid instrument. Also, during this period, you may prefer to wear the hearing aids for only a portion of the day, and then gradually increase your usage through out your normal day. And I learned to appreciate that advice after wearing the aids all day and becoming increasingly nervous. My mind was working overtime for several days and then a couple of days ago I "crashed", but after having a good night's sleep last night, I am feeling more normal and have been taking breaks from wearing the aids. We return to the hearing center in two weeks for further assistance from the very nice audiologist. Until then, I need to practice inserting the aids and removing them from my hears which is difficult with my arthritic hands.

Last week, I also had an appointment with my family doctor for a check up. I told the doctor I am concerned about my recent weight increase. I asked if it could be a thyroid problem as it has been in the past. But, she seemed to think it is inactivity, not getting enough exercise. The nurse took blood for a complete work up and we return in about three weeks. She said if there was a problem with my blood work, they would call me before then. Barry and I both had flu shots, so we are about to get set for the winter months ahead of us.

See you next time.