Harbingers of spring, and we need more square people who won't roll when they are pushed.

By Olivene Godfrey

Just when I think I can't bear cold wintry weather another day, our Creator sends us the January Thaw when for a few days the weather is nice and warm. And if you look closely there are already harbingers of spring, such as the jonquils poking their heads up out of the soil. And, our huge asparagus fern is sending shoots up all over and soon its red berries will be replaced with tiny, delicate flowers. The large Thanksgiving cactus is also preparing for spring with new leaves sprouting. We will have more winter weather, I know, but I hope I'll be alive to experience the glory of springtime in Northwest Georgia which I'm confident will arrive on time.

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I remember reading and clipping this quotation by Eugene Wilson: "We don't need any more well-rounded people. We have too many now. A well-rounded person is like a ball; he rolls in the first direction he is pushed. We need more square people who won't roll when they are pushed." We need to give more thought to the sensitivity of the other person. He or she is a human being with human dignity, and feelings and thoughts and strong likes and dislikes. It is a considerate person who has the sensitive perception and insight into the heart of someone.

Other people seldom see us as we really are. Actually, who we truly are is lost among our daily contacts. We react differently to almost every person we meet. It's easy to be a friend to someone who endears himself to everyone. But, it's more difficult to be a friend to someone who finds little friendship anywhere. But, we never know just how much they need us. Perhaps within their minds we can quiet their restlessness and assure them they are needed.

I've always believed it to be a good practice of all of us that when we hear something complimentary about someone to tell them. That feeling that "someone believes in me" can be the very thing that will anchor a person's faith in hope for humanity. One tiny glimmer of hope can lift us out of the deepest despair. One whisper of encouragement will help us to know that as long as there's hope, there is a good chance for us to regain balance.

See you next time.

Aftermath of my fall.

By Olivene Godfrey

I'm back at my desk as I am recovering from a fall in my bedroom last week. My right wrist was badly sprained and this is the first time I've typed since the accident. I bruise easily and the front of my body is black and blue and I look like I've been beaten.

As usual, son Barry has been his wonderful self, taking on an already heavy workload as I haven't been much help around the house this week. Last weekend, I gave him a Christmas gift card I received from my sister, Jeanette, to use to help pay for a an electric throw for me which he did. And, it has felt good on cold days.

On the day before the fall, I had an appointment with my family doctor and she prescribed a gel to apply to my arthritic knees which have been extremely painful this winter. If this treatment isn't effective she will give me the shots in my knees. She said she would also make arrangements with the blood doctor in Calhoun for me to have my monthly blood test in her office. If I need a booster shot I will go to Calhoun. Otherwise, we won't have to make that tiring trip once a month.

I will sign off for now and hope to resume my regular schedule soon.

See you next time.

I fell in my bedroom Saturday morning & injured my right wrist and hand

by Olivene Godfrey

I fell in my bedroom & injured my right wrist & arm. I am typing this with my left hand so bear with me. I fell five years ago & broke my right arm & shoulder and since that date I have been so careful but I guess when you get old these things just happen.
I am sore on my right side & am having a hard time doing the most simple things. I thank god & my Reclast treatment which gives me a year of protecting my bones, that the fall wasn't" worse. please pray for me.

See you next time.

HOORAY! OUR HEAT PUMP IS WORKING AGAIN & MORE ABOUT MY NIECE, AMI & COLD WEATHER HARD ON MY ARTHRITIS AND GIFT FROM FRIEND, RUTH,A LOVELY SERENDIPITY.

By OLIVENE GODFREY

Hooray! Our heat pump is working again, keeping all the rooms toasty warm. Barry and I agree that our heat pump is the most efficient heating system we've had in our house since we moved here 32 years ago.

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My niece, Ami, and I are getting to know each other via e-mails. I told you recently Ami left a comment on my blog. A few days early, Ami, called my sister, Jeanette, on the phone and they had a long conversation. Ami and her four siblings due to complicated circumstances know little about our family history. Jeanette told Ami about my blog and that I often write about our childhood days. Since then, Ami and I have been having an interesting e-mail correspondence. Ami's letters are a delight and warm my heart and I look forward to receiving them.

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My arthritis in my knees has caused me almost unbearable pain since the weather turned cold here in Northwest Georgia. I have an appointment with my doctor soon and plan to discuss with her cortisone shots for my knees. I understand now why elderly people spend winters in a warm climate.

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I had a lovely serendipity one day this week. My friend and neighbor, Genevelyn, visited a mutual friend, Ruth, a former newspaper colleague of mine. Ruth asked Genevelyn to bring me a gift she had bought for me. She told Genevelyn that when she saw the gift she thought of me and bought the beautiful diamond shaped crystal paperweight, I collect unusual and pretty paperweights and Ruth's gift added beauty to my collection.

See you next time.

SNOW STILL ON GROUND HERE IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA AND ORIGIN OF MY AUNT WILLOWDEAN'S NAME

By OLIVENE GODFREY

As I write this, the heavy snowfall we here in Northwest Georgia had a few days ago has barely started to thaw. The sun is shining which helps our spirits. The temps have been very cold. The snowfall we had measured about ten inches which is the most snow we've had since what has become known as the Blizzard of 1993 when we measured nearly two feet of snow in our yard.We weren't able to get off of our mountain foothill for four days. And we had no power or water and we weren't prepared for the snow and the only heat we had was from our fireplace and a small propane heater.

This time, thanks to God and Georgia power, our power has stayed on and we've had water. If the new compressor had been installed in our heat pump we would have been comfortable. We were stocked up on food and supplies and are still running a large kerosene heater which is heating the den and kitchen. Our heat pump still hasn't been fixed and the rest of the house is cold. We use our electric blankets to stay warm at night Our road was almost impassable for a while and Barry didn't work a couple of days as he couldn't get his car out of the driveway. We didn't have any mail delivery that day but have since then.

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When I mentioned my aunt,Willodean, to Barry one day, he asked if I knew the origin of the unusual name. I told him I didn't and when she called before Christmas I asked her about it. She didn't know anything about it either. So, Barry did some research on the web and found out that the name is of uncertain origin, but likely a corruption of Willardine, a feminine form of the name Willard. Willowdean was mostly used in the America South in the early 20th century and is a rare name today. Though it was listed in the 1990 U.S. census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

See you next time.

SNOW...SNOW..SNOW--The snow came during the night, turning our world here in Northwest Georgia into a winter wonderland. Son Barry captured on a digital camera these scenes as viewed from our windows.

Olivene Godfrey

LOVE IS....

By OLIVENE GODFREY

I've written many words on the subject of love. Still, during the many years I wrote a daily newspaper column, almost every week, readers would request another "love" column. And, there really is no great mystery as to why love is of interest to all of us. Perhaps all the talk, songs and writings about love arises from our mixed emotions about love.

We can't do without love. And we can't buy it. It never appears in its own pure form. We can't chemically synthesize love in a laboratory test and exhibit unadulterated love. It's never seen but we feel its presence. Yet. we can't touch it. The mystery of love seems to lie in its omnipresent invisibility.We may see the glow of love appear on a face and love can change a person's entire life style. But, love itself remains a hidden force.

We cannot command that another person love us. Nothing inhibits a person more than being ordered to love. And, when we try to love under those circumstances we only become more inhibited, more tense, and less capable of expressing love. Love has been compared to life in the sense that we're dependant upon something over which we have so little control. Actually, love and life are the same. Love is self-activated life. Some people avoid psychology because they believe that, "what I don't know won't hurt me." And it may be true that what we don't know about ourselves won't hurt us. But, what we do know can help us. We have to decide if the initial hurt is worth the pain in view of long-range benefit which can follow if we do make an effort to know and to love ourselves.

Love means confirmation of life. Love for ourselves means we should take this life force more seriously than anything positively negativity about our own personal make-up. We love because we love. But, we like something or somebody pleases us. Love can't be turned on and off, according to our desires. Love feeds the self to set it free and helps the self to come into its own.

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As I write this, we're bracing for another winter storm to hit us hard here in Northwest Georgia. When I got up this morning, the temp outside was 14 degrees but has warmed up some now. The snow is expected to start tonight. Unfortunately, our heat pump still hasn't been fixed and we're using a large kerosene heater which keeps the den and kitchen warm. I pray the electric power stays on but we are prepared in case it doesn't. The weather folks tell us to expect a 5 to 7 inch snow. I'll be back soon with the latest on the storm from here.

See you next time.

NEW YEAR'S EVE VISIT WITH SISTER, JEANETTE. & SON BARRY'S EXPERIENCE WITH SLEEPING UNDER STACK OF BLANKETS & CHILDHOOD MEMORY EVOKED WHEN BARRY DRANK AN ORANGE CRUSH

BY OLIVENE GODFREY,

Because of the snowfall on Christmas day, Barry and I were unable to attend the annual family party at my sister, Jeanette, home in Dalton. So, on New Year's eve, we visited Jeanette and her husband, Charles, to exchange gifts and catch up on family news. Jeanette has recently had her house remodeled and it is beautiful. We received nice gifts and Jeanette gave Barry a container of her chocolate-nut fudge which I think is the best in the world. I don't know if I can resist just a "taste" of it.

Barry used a gift card he received to help pay for an electric blanket he bought at K-Mart on our way home. His had stopped working the previous night and he had used a stack of blankets that night and he stayed warm but he said he felt like he was being crushed by the unusual weight of the bedding. We are still using the electric emergency and expensive heat until our new compressor is installed in the heat pump. And, the house isn't as warm as we would like for it to be in the winter.

While we visited Jeanette, she served delicious sausage balls and cookies. She keeps a variety of soft drinks for the grand kids and I chose a Diet Coke but Barry drank an Orange Crush. He kidded me about the Orange Crush evoking a childhood memory. I was about six or seven and like all of our family members I was a Coke drinker but sometimes I would try other drinks. It was a hot Sunday in rural Tennessee and we were at an all day service at the Methodist church, a white, frame building. The "dinner on the ground" was actually long tables covered with white cloths and was laden with Southern cooked foods. There were several other breaks from the preaching and singing. There were soft drinks for a nickel and iced tea to quench our thirst. My mother was busy taking care of my twin sisters who were active toddlers. Daddy, a Methodist preacher, was supposed to be watching after me. He would be involved with conversations with adults and when I would ask for a nickel to buy an Orange crush in a brown bottle, he would reach in his pocket and give me the nickel. This "act" occurred about eight or nine times that day. When we arrived home late in the afternoon, I was sick as a dog, and threw up. My parents thought I had eaten food that had "gone bad"and started "doctoring me"
They didn't know why I never drank an Orange Crush again until I told them this story when I was an adult. Barry said his Orange Crush was "pretty good" but I have never had a desire to drink one again.

See you next time.